A Mercury Prelude
by Lee Black
Summary: And so it was that, in pursuit of the fruition of a dare and 500 Galleons from Sirius, that James found himself scouring the library for the platinum-haired Prince of Slytherin. LMJP, RLSB slash, Creature!Lucius.
1. Don't sit on the radiator

**001. Don't sit on the radiator**

Word Count: 1,522

* * *

Lucius Malfoy, James had thought, was going to be either a no-go or an angry lay. But he had no choice, as he'd been delivered the dare in the weekly game of Truth or Dare between the four Marauders. His Gryffindor sensibilities, as Sirius had once phrased it, would not allow him to admit that this dare was a bit too much for him to handle, but the grin on Sirius' face once he realized the full implications of the dare only managed to egg him on further. Remus had, perhaps, indulged just a bit too much on the developmental potions that Snape was creating in an effort to cure lycanthropy - a rather ground-breaking part of his application to become a Potions Master - and had dared James to add Lucius to his list of conquests.

Sirius, who had, without a doubt, imbibed more than his fair share of Firewhiskey, had thought the dare was hilarious and had staked upon it 500 Galleons that James would fail.

Peter Pettigrew, who was rarely worth mentioning - and this occasion was no exception, had laid 20 Galleons on the opposite side - he for some reason thought James would succeed.

And so it was that on the following Friday, in pursuit of the fruition of a dare and 500 Galleons from Sirius, that James found himself scouring the library for the platinum-haired Prince of Slytherin. It was a free period for the two of them and James had hoped that he would find the other student easily.

He should have known better, he thought to himself as he walked outside, making his way toward the lake. While he'd scoured the parts of the castle that were relatively easy for him to get to - whether or not they were areas where students were generally permitted - he'd seen a telltale shimmer of silver that he hoped was the Slytherin. He was successful there, and he found the Slytherin leaning against a rock, sound asleep.

James glared silently at the sight of Lucius sleeping, quickly growing exasperated when the young man showed no signs whatsoever that he was waking. "Fucking hell," he muttered as he turned and made to start walking away. He looked up at the castle and noticed Sirius watching him from one of the numerous windows on the third floor of the castle. He made an obscene gesture at his best friend and then Sirius started cheering. He was pulled away from the window, most likely by Remus, and James groaned, feeling as though he'd already lost the bet.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here, Potter?"

The unexpected question startled James slightly, and he turned around to stare at the Slytherin, who was looking at him almost expectantly. "Did I wake you, Lucy?" James asked as he took a seat next to the Slytherin, quickly recomposing himself as Lucius closed his eyes again and seemed to almost go back to sleep. "Need all the beauty sleep you can get, I suppose."

Lucius opened his eyes halfway to lay a lidded stare on James. "We cannot all walk around looking like we just took it up the ass the way you do, Potter," he said, keeping his face passive and not betraying anything. "What do you want?"

"Well, you segued into it rather nicely with your compliment in regards to my appearance," he said with a grin.

Lucius didn't even blink before responding. "I did not compliment you as to your appearance and I would not come near you with a ten foot pole," he said with a sneer at James.

"I'm not asking you to come near me with a ten foot pole. I am trying-"

"Your very hardest, I gather," Lucius interrupted, but James continued speaking as though the Slytherin had said nothing at all.

"I am trying to suggest that perhaps I might interest you in a friendly roll in the hay, a bumping of our respective fuzzies, a mutual muffin buttering, a horizontal hustle, a mattress mambo, a-"

"Regardless of how many euphemisms for sex you throw at me, I will not change my mind. I thought you stuck to sleeping with your own kind and the Ravenclaws, anyway." He closed his eyes and seemed to go back to sleep almost immediately.

"Fine." James crossed his arms and pouted, trying to think of a way to convince the Slytherin as he shifted in his seat, accidentally brushing his shoulder against Lucius'. He groaned and decided that perhaps using his Gryffindor brashness was the best way to go. "Would you help me win a bet, then?" he asked.

"Would this bet involve me putting a body part of mine into a body part of yours?" James was silent as Lucius opened his eyes again and stared at him for a long moment. "What are the parameters of this wager?" Lucius asked, sighing a bit as it seemed he gave in. "I want the whole story," he added just as James opened his mouth to answer his question.

"Remus dared me to add you to the list of my conquests. Sirius bet 500 Galleons that I wouldn't be able to do it."

"How long is this list of yours? I don't want to catch anything from you," Lucius said disdainfully.

"You know as well as I do that Purebloods cannot catch sexually transmitted diseases."

"I do not know many Pureblood whores, so I cannot be entirely sure whether or not you have managed to break that previously established precedent."

James half-growled and glared at the Slytherin. "Are you going to help me or not?" he asked exasperatedly.

"I suppose I can offer assistance, but you will deliver to me half of the 500 Galleon pot."

"Why? You don't even have to do any work if you don't want."

"I will have to make sure that I get aroused for a scrawny little Gryffindor like you, won't I?" Lucius asked scathingly as he stood.

James stared at him from the ground. "I bet at every Quidditch match you don't even know what the ending score is because you're too busy ogling me while I fly."

"You think far too much of yourself, Potter."

"What about our private encounter?" James asked.

"I'll send you an owl tomorrow morning with the time and location," he said before walking back into the school.

And as James picked himself up and headed up to meet Sirius before their Defense Against the Dark Arts class started, he couldn't help but feel completely proud of himself.

As he waited for Sirius to show up, Lily Evans approached him and he eyed her suspiciously. "What do you want?" he asked.

"I want to know if what I overheard Sirius Black talking about was true. Are you really going to sleep with Lucius Malfoy on a bet?"

"What concern is it of yours?" James asked as he glared at Sirius' back.

"I'm really just curious." She shifted a bit. "Besides, I think a bit of advice that my mother always gave me would help you out in the near future."

"Oh really?" James asked sarcastically. He held nothing against her personally, really, he just hated the way she manipulated her intelligence to make it seem like she thought herself better than everyone else, regardless of who was encompassed in this "everyone else."

Lily took a deep breath before shifting again. "She always told me 'don't sit on the radiator unless you want a burnt arse, otherwise you'll end up needlessly scarred." A moment passed when James said nothing, and Lily added, "A radiator is basically a box that circulates heat throughout a room."

"So you're comparing Malfoy's penis to a hotbox?" James asked with a smirk. "And you think that after sitting on it, I won't have gained anything useful?" he pressed, his smirk widening as Lily flushed a violent red at his questions. "As much as I am grateful for your concern regarding my ass," he said. "I can look out for it all on my own."

Sirius walked up and playfully wrapped his arm over James' shoulder. "What's up, Lily?" he asked, taking in both the lewdly mischievous look on James' face and the full blown blush on Lily's face. "Did I interrupt something?" he asked. "Because I am more than happy to walk away and let it continue."

"That won't be needed," Lily said, regaining her composure as she brushed past the two Marauders, walking into the classroom and taking her usual seat in the front of the class.


	2. Something falls from the sky

**002. Something falls from the sky**

Word Count: 1,195

* * *

On Saturday morning, Sirius dragged a reluctant James and an even more reluctant Remus from their beds and pulled them both down to the Great Hall almost before the sun had risen.

"What the bloody hell are we doing here so fucking early?" Remus asked, taking both James and Sirius by surprise - it was extremely rare that Remus swore, but perhaps given the fact that the full moon was in two days, it was to be at least somewhat expected that he was not entirely himself.

"Jamie got a letter from a school owl and it's been charmed to stay at his seat until he takes the letter," Sirius said excitedly. "And I want to know what it says."

"How many times did you try to get to the letter?" James asked with a yawn. He grinned when his friend held up two arms covered in scratches. "More than once, I see," he said.

"If the letter is addressed to James and you simply tend to fail at thwarting such intelligent creatures as inbred barn owls, what is the bloody reason for waking me up at such an inhumane hour?" Remus asked with a half-awake snarl that James supposed was to stand in for a yawn from the lycanthrope.

"I simply cannot see myself doing anything without the man of my dreams at my side," Sirius said with a grin.

Remus growled. "I can certainly see you doing something alone," he groused, ignoring the look on Sirius' face. "And if you think I'm not serious, wake me up tomorrow at this time," he threatened the young man.

The letter was exactly what James thought it to be - Lucius' response to his propositioning.

_Tonight at 11, the room across from the Potions classroom. Come alone. - LM_

Sirius leaned over James to try to read the letter, but James shoved him away. "Tomorrow morning you owe me 500 Galleons," he said, laughing when he saw the look on Sirius' face. He walked away, not saying anything until he felt a hand on his shoulder and knew it to belong to Sirius. "I am going back to bed until at least three this afternoon and, so help me Merlin, if you wake me up Siri, you will lose the parts of your anatomy that define you male. Regardless of what Remy says."

"I won't stop you, as I am doing, and threatening, the same thing," Remus replied. He looked at Sirius. "I hope that while you're outside today, something falls from the sky and hits you in the head to correct whatever mental problem with which you are afflicted."

Sirius pouted, but Remus seemed unwilling to back down. "Fine," Sirius replied. "I'm going out to run laps around the Quidditch pitch. Come get me when you feel more like appreciating my greatness."

Remus smiled tiredly and bade Sirius a temporary farewell before following James up to Gryffindor Tower to go back to sleep.

Time flew by and James woke up later that day at six in the evening. There was no other way he wanted to spend his Saturday, but by then Remus was awake and feeling refreshed enough to push both him and Sirius into doing their homework. Needless to say, James was extremely grateful when it was 10:30 and he could escape from the clutches of the academically-obsessed lycanthrope.

He wandered down to the dungeons and waited in the empty classroom for almost twenty minutes when he heard footsteps echoing down the hallway. He glanced outside and smirked when he saw Lucius Malfoy in all his splendor, strolling down the hall in almost formal clothing - a silver silk shirt and black slacks. Not wanting to sit and watch the Slytherin glare at him for ten minutes, he sauntered out to meet Lucius. "Good evening, your Highness," James said with a purr and a smirk as he mock-bowed to Lucius.

"You are inconveniencing me quite a bit, Potter."

"I suppose you'd like me to somehow remedy that," James said quietly, but the smirk remained on his face. "Shall we go into a more private area before I make this worth your while?"

Lucius led James down the hall a bit farther until they reached a room with ancient shackles against the wall. "You brought me to the dungeon to have your way with me?" James asked. "That's going a little bit far, even for what I thought of you," he said with a low whistle. "Is that blood on the chain?"

Lucius merely arched an eyebrow as James inspected the room. He conjured himself a comfortable armchair and waited for the Gryffindor to get accustomed to his surroundings. It took less time than he thought it would have - only ten minutes.

"In your letter, you wrote that I was to come alone. Why? Do you get stage fright?" James asked, leaning over Lucius and bracing himself on the arms of the chair.

"I hardly get stage fright, though I do not trust whatever moronic pranks you and Black might come up with." He stared at James, his eyes guarded and unreadable. "Are you going to waste my time or do you plan to convince me to do what your friend bet 500 Galleons I wouldn't?"

"I don't need to do any sort of convincing," James said confidently as he lazily trailed a finger up Lucius' shirt to unbutton the top button. "You knew what I was offering and you accepted my offer. Now, it makes things so much simpler for both of us if you do not insult me while I do what it is that I do best."

"And what's that, pontificate?" Lucius asked, only to be met with the sensation of teeth biting into his collarbone. He hissed loudly, baring his teeth.

"I said no insults. I don't particularly like handing out pain, but if I need to punish you to teach you your lesson, I will," James said as he settled himself onto Lucius' lap and continued to unbutton his shirt while he explored Lucius' neck with his mouth.

Lucius, for his part, was silent save for the soft sounds he made whenever James grazed a sweet spot.

- excerpt removed to comply with 's NC17 policy. -

It was three in the morning before James made his way back into his dorm room in the Gryffindor Tower. Surprisingly enough, Lucius had gone so far as to offer to assist James back to the room when he saw how difficult it was for him to stand, nonetheless walk up seven flights of stairs - an offer that James had turned down. He had to keep some of his dignity intact.


	3. Whistling down the street

**003. Whistling down the street**

Word Count: 1,001

* * *

Remus eyed the way James refused to move so much as an inch once he'd gotten himself into a comfortable position on his bed and ignored the taunts Sirius was sending his way. It hadn't taken long for James to get fed up with Sirius, though, and once the Black heir had left the room with his tail between his legs, Remus took his chance to confront James. "I take it you had a good time, then," he said calmly.

"What gave you that damn impression?" James asked sourly as he shifted slightly to look at Remus, though he showed no indication whatsoever that he was getting out of bed any time soon.

Remus walked over and sat on the bed next to James. "Apart from the fact that you cannot walk," he said with a brief smirk. "There is a rather distinctive love bite on your Adam's Apple that will likely be there for quite a while."

"Okay. I'll wait for your lecture about how I'm going to set a precedent and catch a sexual disease that renders me impotent for the rest of my life or that will cause my giggle stick to shrivel up and rot."

"Actually," the werewolf said, sounding almost hesitant. "I was more concerned about the scent surrounding the bite on your neck."

"Why? Did I get infected with something that only Lucius Malfoy has?"

Remus leaned closer to James, sniffing the wound almost hesitantly, and growled. "It's not human."

"What? The scent?" James asked. "That might prove a problem."

"It could be worse than that. You might be permanently bonded with the man, depending on what the creature in question is."

"It's a Malfoy," James stated plainly.

The werewolf in Remus seemed to be acting out, as Remus bared his teeth and let out a low growl that sent shivers down James' spine. "You need to take this seriously. If he is a Vampire, this mark signifies that you belong to him alone. If he's a Veela and he has claimed you, when he comes into his Inheritance, you just managed to send both Lucius and his mate to an early grave."

"And if he's a werewolf?" James asked, glaring at Remus. These were things he did not want to hear about, much less have manifest into the truth.

"I would have smelled it on him by now," Remus snapped.

They both fell silent as a knock on the door took them by surprise. "It's Lily," came a voice. "Can I come in?"

"Are you really going to go away if we tell you to leave us alone?" James asked, and to neither of their surprise, Lily opened the door and walked in.

"Are you alright?" she asked of James when she saw the bite on his neck. A moment passed and her eyes narrowed. "Did you have fun with Lucius Malfoy?" she bit out.

James closed his eyes and grinned. "Jealous? Did I live out your fantasy?" he asked. "Would you like me to fill you in on all the dirty details pertaining to Lucius' naughty parts?"

"I came up to see if Remus would be willing to help me with the Care of Magical Creatures homework, actually. The world does not revolve around you and I do not fantasize about Lucius Malfoy," she snapped, looking over at Remus, who nodded after a moment.

"Rest up James. You have Potions class tomorrow morning and you know that Professor Slughorn does not accept tardiness in any manner." He looked at the love bite again. "And try to cover that up. It marks you for something you may not be."

"Are you saying I am not an easy lay?" James asked with a smirk.

"You know what I said and the meaning behind it," Remus said firmly, though he avoided answering James' question.

Lily lingered in the room a moment after Remus had gone to the Common Room and James looked warily at her. "What now?" he asked. "Going to lecture me for sitting bare-assed on the radiation?"

"The radiator," Lily corrected immediately and James groaned.

"Just go away," he said. "I don't want your mother's advice. It makes no sense."

Lily shrugged. "Why did you ask Remus whether he thought you were an easy lay? I thought you didn't care if people thought you to be a whore," she said.

James winced at the word 'whore', though Lily seemed not to notice, but he said nothing. Hopefully if he did not respond to her at all she'd take the hint and leave. When that didn't work, he leveled his brown eyes on her. "Fine. What is the opinion that your mother would have as to my little hobby?" he deadpanned.

Her face lit up and she put her hands on her hips in a move reminiscent of Molly, one of the first years who seemed to have a mother hen complex. "She said that the only true whores were those who could not ever be found whistling down the street because they were too ashamed of who they were," she said. James nodded at her and Lily left.

Once he found himself alone, he discovered that he needed to relieve his aching bladder. Groaning aloud, he shifted a bit and, upon feeling only a dull ache, grew more confident. He made a swift movement to stand, but then his legs gave out on him and he swore loudly, cursing Lucius Malfoy for his sadistic nature, even though the man was clearly not present to be cursed at.


	4. The patient lay quietly

**004. The patient lay quietly**

Word Count: 1,046

* * *

Three weeks after that James noticed that Lucius was absent from their second shared class of the day and he, for some reason, started to worry about the man. Remus noticed this almost immediately and sent him a note the way the Marauders had become accustomed to sending when they were in the middle of class - they had spelled their notebooks so that they could write notes to each other without the teachers noticing. For the most part, it just looked like they were writing notes from various lectures.

_I told you to learn as much as you could about that bite on your neck. You're just lucky that it went away as soon as it did._

James frowned and glanced up at the teacher, but then remembered that Binns likely wouldn't notice if the school was demolished around him. It never hurt to double check, though, he thought as he wrote a response to Remus.

_This has nothing whatsoever to do with that stupid bite. Besides, when I asked Lucius about it he said he didn't even remember making it. What inspired you to write about that anyway?_

Remus sighed loud enough for Binns to send him a warning look before he continued lecturing.

_Your scent just spiked in a way very similar to the way a werewolf's would when they are worried about the health of their mate. I blame the bite for that, unless you would care to confess about some hidden desires for Lucy, other than what's in his pants._

James grinned, but he sent no note back to the werewolf. Let Remus conspire with Sirius about their own problems and let James deal with his problems on his own.

Once the class had ended, James had a hunch that he followed up to the Hospital Wing. Only one person was present as a patient in the Hospital Wing, and though they were almost completely covered by the blanket, James' hunch led him to believe that person was Lucius Malfoy.

As he approached the bed, the patient lay quietly, looking almost lifeless until James was at the side of the bed and looking at the sleeping face of Lucius Malfoy.

A commotion in Madame Pomfrey's private office distracted James and he looked up when the door opened quite firmly.

"I want to know why I was not informed sooner as to my son's condition, and if I am not getting answers from you then I will speak to the Headmaster. Where is he?" a man who looked like a carbon copy of Lucius, only 20 years older, asked almost furiously.

"He is in Prague," Madame Pomfrey stated. When she noticed James next to Lucius in bed, her eyes widened. "James, don't you have class?"

"It ended a few minutes ago, ma'am," he said before glancing at the older Lucius. If he was truly Malfoy's father, he was Abraxas Malfoy, but James wasn't sure and he wouldn't refer to the man as Abraxas unless he knew for sure that it was him.

"How did you know that Lucius was in the Infirmary? No one other than Professor Slughorn knows that and he would not have disclosed such information to a student," Poppy said quietly.

"I noticed that he wasn't in the Potions class or the History of Magic class that we have together and I was worried. I just decided to check here on a whim," he said. Hopefully this would not be one of the things he did that ended up leaving him cleaning the medical supplies by hand, as had a number of other impulsive actions of his.

The Malfoy-looking man glanced at James, and perhaps he noticed the mark of the bite - though James did not see how that was possible, as it was nearly gone - because he smiled slightly. "I am pleased to see that my son has someone who is worried enough about him to notice his absence in class, even if that someone is a Gryffindor," he said quietly. He looked back at Madame Pomfrey. "I will return to speak to the Headmaster about your refusal to alert me as to the fact that my son was in the Hospital Wing when he returns from Prague."

"I look forward to seeing you," Madame Pomfrey said in a forcedly civil tone.

James heard a noise from the bed and he looked down to see Lucius' eyes blinking rapidly, like he had something caught in one of his eyes. His father leaned over Lucius and then he quickly looked up at Madame Pomfrey. "Get me a Dreamless Sleep and a Numbing potion, now." He glanced at James, who was staring worriedly down at Lucius when the Slytherin groaned. "As much as I enjoy meeting my son's acquaintances, I must ask that you come to visit him another time."

James nodded dumbly, biting back the questions of what was going on and headed outside to the Quidditch pitch where the Gryffindors had practice in a half hour.

Remus was out there, relaxing in the sun, as he watched Sirius continue running laps around the pitch. James took a seat next to Remus, who grinned. "Do you think Siri will ever learn not to ask Madame Hooch is she feels like favoring Gryffindor in our next game or if she remains stubbornly on the rag during each game?" he asked James with a grin.

James easily returned the grin and laid next to him. The full moon had come and gone and Remus was finally able to make use of the sun while it was still relatively warm outside. What had just happened in the Hospital Wing could be put off to the side until he found the right time to go back to speak to Lucius about what had put him in the hospital bed in the first place.


	5. The cat rubbed against the fence

**005. The cat rubbed against the fence**

Word Count: 1,118

* * *

James was having trouble sleeping lately, which he did a decently good job of hiding. It wasn't the sleep troubles that bothered him, but more the dream he had every night now when he went to sleep. Every night now for the past fifteen days it was the same dream.

_He stood underneath a tree in the back yard outside his father's least favorite Potter property - Godric's Hollow - and no matter how hard he tried he could not move from that spot. _

_First he saw a young child running around in the yard, and when the child ran close enough for James to get a good look at him, he was shocked when he saw messy black hair, a silver eye and a green eye, and a smirk that was eerily reminiscent of the Malfoy smirk. _

_Lucius Malfoy ran out from the back door to collect the boy. They'd share a secret word but James could never understand what they said. _

_When the boy ran back inside and Lucius stood to inspect the woods that James stood in front of, a tattoo of a skull and a serpent on his inner arm was made clear and it sent an ominous feeling to caress James' magic. It was the mark of the Dark Lord Voldemort, who had recently been gaining both momentum and followers._

Then came the crack of thunder and another view came into James' perspective, this one completely different.

_Instead of a happy scene, James saw a war-torn country-side. He was again rooted to his spot, but it was this that gave James the worst feelings. Every night he would look down and see the maimed, broken body of Lucius Malfoy. At first James took him to be dead, but then a broken sob emerged from the equally as broken body and Lucius started crying._

_Despite the fact that he knew there was worse yet to come, James felt his heart break every night when he heard the sounds of the Lucius Malfoy in his dreams crying. Were the truth to become clear, it was likely this sound that haunted him when he was awake._

_The sound of thunder came again, though Lucius' crying did not fade as quickly as he wished it would._

_This time he saw the view of what had to be a Muggle neighborhood and he was rooted to a spot underneath a light-pole. He saw the Headmaster delivering a bundle to the fourth house down on the left and when the bundle started crying James found himself drawn to it. _

_He walked unseen next to the Headmaster and saw that the bundle was in fact a young baby boy. Dumbledore set the babe on the doorstep and placed a letter on top of the child's stomach. _

_A meow caught his attention and James looked over to see a tabby cat staring in his direction. It meowed at him and he perceived it to be the only creature in this sequence of dreams that could see him. The cat rubbed against the fence and meowed again, this time causing the child to cry louder than he was. _

_The Headmaster looked at the cat, ignoring the way that it wasn't looking at him. "This way the child can be brought up with the hopes that he will not be under the influence of You-Know-Who. No one can ever know the truth, least the child's living parent or the child himself." The cat meowed its response._

He would wake up in a cold sweat after that and every once in a while he thought he felt Remus' eyes on him, but he did not pay attention to the gaze nor did he approach Remus about it during the day. These were just nightmares, and he refused to treat them as anything but - Divinations be damned.

Only on the eighteenth night of the same dream did he think it might be the time to see what could help ease the relentless recurrence. The only problem, now, was who he would go to for help.

His first instinct was Remus, but with the severity of the dreams, the lycanthrope would likely tell him to seek help from the Divinations teacher. "That's pretty much one of the only reasons she's allowed to stay here," he'd say, "in spite of the fact that what she teaches is a load of bullocks."

And he knew right away that no matter how much he considered Sirius his best friend, he could never approach the man with this. For all his tolerance of Lucius Malfoy, James knew that was due largely in part to the bet he had placed - but subsequently lost - at the beginning of the year.

And then came what seemed to be his only logical option. If Lucius Malfoy had appeared in two out of the three parts that composed his repetitive dream, then perhaps some of the answers lay with Lucius Malfoy himself.

He waited until it was a Hogsmeade weekend before he approached Lucius, and even then he merely invited him into the Hog's Head for something to drink - they were both seventeen, after all, and they could get away with pretty much anything - even bringing some of the drinks back to the school so the party could continue.

To his immense surprise that weekend, James found that Lucius was seeking him out as well as the other way around. The Slytherin managed to sneak up behind James without him knowing until he felt a hand on his shoulder, and he stifled his shock at the sudden and unexpected physical contact. "We need to talk, now. Somewhere private," Lucius said almost hurriedly.

James grinned. "You know, I was thinking the exact same thing. Would you like to join me in the Hog's Head Tavern so we can have a nice little discussion?"

"The school will be empty save for the teachers so I propose we go back and talk by the shore of the lake," Lucius said. It took James only a few seconds to make up his mind and he nodded, following Lucius back up the path to the school.


	6. It was the best and worst day of my life

**006. It was the best and worst day of my life**

Word Count: 1,003

* * *

Once at the shore of the lake James took a seat on one of the rocks in the water and Lucius sat on the rock directly next to him.

"You go first," James volunteered. His curiosity was overtaking him and he was determined to know why the Prince of Slytherin was seeking him out. "What's on your mind?" he asked.

"The night we spent together in the dungeons," Lucius said plainly. "I am afraid it has some rather serious repercussions for the both of us."

"I don't get it, but before you get to the heavy stuff, tell me what you thought of that night."

"Does your ego really need to be boosted in such a manner?"

James shrugged. "If I managed to make a lasting impression on the Prince of Slytherin, especially a good impression, then I pretty much have eternal bragging rights," he said.

"It was the best and the worst day of my life," Lucius said.

"Care to elaborate?" James asked.

"That night was the night before I came into my Inheritance."

"Shit. You're a Veela and I killed you, right? Bloody hell, Remy warned me about that bite mark," James said.

Lucius chuckled quietly. "As amusing as that statement is, what do you mean, he warned you?"

James paused. This had to be worded carefully, as it was not to be let out that Remus was a werewolf. "He has some strange ability to tell when something isn't made by a human. If you aren't a Veela, then what are you?" James asked curiously.

Lucius sighed. "I will get to that, Potter. Are you going to let me talk or do I leave now?" he asked.

"Fine," James said, motioning that Lucius continue. "Weave me a tale, Oh Slytherin," he said, closing his eyes as he waited to hear whatever it was that Lucius needed to tell him.

"The Malfoy line has been Pureblood for years, and when my great grandfather married into the family it became even more Pureblooded for reasons that I will not go into," he said.

"Why not?" James asked.

"It gets far too complicated," Lucius said with a shrug. "If you really want to get the finer details of my heritage, you can ask my father when you get the chance. Anyway, I came into my Inheritance the day after we had our little tryst, and certain factors revealed to me that you were my mate."

"What factors?"

"Your scent became almost overbearing, I saw you in my dreams almost constantly, and I was drawn to you even in the middle of classes," he said with a slight blush. "I can't do anything without thinking about you," he said.

"Anything?" James asked with a grin.

Lucius glared at James, not saying anything for a moment.

James looked back at the lake for a moment as the water rippled suddenly - a sign that the giant squid was surfacing to torment whatever students were nearby. When it appeared to settle with no other signs that the squid was going to make an actual appearance, he turned back to Lucius, who was still watching the lake. After a few more minutes, James grinned. "Mayhap we ought to retire to your personal chambers and continue this discussion there, away from the spontaneous threats of violence from giant squids."

Lucius grinned at him and stood. "I think it might be best," he commented and James adopted a smirk.

"Lead the way," he said with an overly extravagant flourish.

Lucius led the way, unable to stop the almost child-like grin on his face when James slipped his hand into Lucius'.

The two of them made their way to the Slytherin Common Room almost unseen. Once James had made himself comfortable on the couch, he heard a noise and froze. Lucius looked at the spot where the noise had originated from and he growled a bit when he saw Severus Snape reaching down to pick up the book he'd just dropped.

Severus glanced over at Lucius and James, his onyx eyes - as usual - completely guarded. "Relax Lucius," he said quietly. "I won't tell anyone," he said once he saw the way his dorm-mate had seemingly turned feral. He grabbed his book and walked over to the tapestry that hid the entrance to the Slytherin House. "Not like they'd actually believe me if I told them, anyway," he muttered as he walked out.

Lucius walked into his now-vacant bedroom and looked over at James, who followed him without question.

James grinned. "Now what is it that you suggest we do, the two of us? After all, we are guaranteed a number of hours before anyone starts looking for either of us," he said with a sly grin.

"I give Black twenty minutes at most before he starts wondering why you haven't joined him," Lucius retorted easily as he made himself comfortable, motioning for James to do the same.

Settling in on the bed next to the Slytherin, James grinned wickedly. "Nah. He and Remus told me to make sure I didn't bother them today, as they were heading into the Shrieking Shack to help contribute to why it was actually called the 'Shrieking Shack'," he said, making Lucius grimace.

"That was a mental image that I neither needed nor wanted, Potter," he said with a growl. He waited a moment, closing his eyes, before asking his next question. "Would you like me to continue my story?" he asked.


	7. She sits upon the shore

**007. She sits upon the shore**

Word Count: 1,148

* * *

James did not remember falling asleep. Nor did he remember falling asleep in a dorm room in the Slytherin House. And while the thing he remembered least of all was falling asleep next to Lucius Malfoy, he found it less shocking than he thought it would have been.

Everything he had learned from Lucius yesterday fell back into the forefront of his mind and he looked over at the sleeping Slytherin. He was much less threatening in his sleep than when he was awake and could turn the Malfoy glare on him without warning - he retained almost a childlike quality and seemed to be eternally at peace.

After a few moments of thinking over what he had been told the previous day, his bladder awoke and demanded his full attention. James sat up, ignoring the protesting groan that Lucius let out, and looked around the room. He noticed Severus reading yet another book, only this one looked to be written in a foreign language - perhaps Greek, he thought - and he looked around the room. There were two doors in the room, apart from the door that was the entrance to the dorm room.

"It's the door on the left, Potter," Severus said without looking up from his book.

"I knew that," James said indignantly, blatantly ignoring the obvious fact that he had no clue where the bathroom had been. He also ignored the amused snort he got from the hopeful Potions Master.

After he had relieved himself, he returned to the bedroom and looked around a moment. He had the time to relax and think about what he had recently learned.

As it was still the Hogsmeade weekend and a number of students had decided to rent out rooms in the village to spend the night with their significant others, and Sirius and Remus had likely decided to spend the night in the Shrieking Shack, James was mentally put at ease, for now at least. He sat on the end of the bed while Lucius was still asleep and hoped the Slytherin was not a late sleeper.

Five minutes had passed and Lucius was showing no signs of waking up. James looked over at Severus, who was making a notation on a spare piece of parchment. "Do you ever sleep?" he asked.

"Yes," Severus said impatiently, though it seemed like he was forcing himself to be decent to James. At least while his mate was in the room and prone to turn feral should he feel his mate in any kind of danger. "I just don't need as much of it as you or Lucius do."

James peered at the Slytherin. "So you sleep like, what, three hours?"

Severus looked up at James. "Is there a reason you're conversing with me instead of tormenting me, or do you need the mutt at your side to egg you on?" he asked acidly, and James had the decency to look ashamed. Severus let out an exasperated sigh, standing up and picking up the books and the parchment that surrounded him on his bed. "If he's seriously into you, then you can wake him up without having to fear the repercussions. If he's not, you aren't getting out of Slytherin territory without bruises and threats against your health," he said before walking out of the room.

James groaned, resting his head in his hands. This sucked. He couldn't go out into the Slytherin Common Room without risking being seen and he was sure that the Slytherin walk of shame was much worse than the stony, cold looks that the Ravenclaws sent him in their improvisation of the walk of shame.

His stomach growled and he glanced at Lucius, who was still fast asleep. He knew the best way to get to the kitchen from almost everywhere in the school - including the threshold of the Forbidden Forest - and Lucius had to understand the need he had for food. Making up his mind, he managed to edge his way out of the Slytherin House without being seen or otherwise noticed and he all but ran to the painting of fruit that hid the kitchen.

In the kitchen he was only slightly surprised to see the Headmaster.

"Good morning, James," he said amiably and James nodded his response to the old man. He didn't not like Albus Dumbledore, but it was far too early for him to get himself into trouble with any teachers, least of all the Headmaster. For Merlin's sake, it was a Sunday morning not long after dawn. "I assure you that you are in no trouble, James," Dumbledore reassured the Gryffindor and James relaxed a bit.

A House Elf walked up to Dumbledore and handed him a small box, which the Headmaster took with a smile. He walked to the entrance to the Kitchen, where the painting had not closed itself completely. "Do try not to make too much of a mess with whatever you choose to do, James." As he had one foot almost completely out the door, he turned back to James. "I almost forgot," he said. "Lily Evans wished me to deliver a note to you for her." He handed James a note and then walked out of the kitchen, whistling to himself.

James tucked the note into his pocket and looked over at the House Elf who had just walked up to him.

"What can Tinky get for you?" it asked and James grinned.

"Send a plate of fruit and scrambled eggs to Lucius Malfoy's dorm room, please," he requested and the House Elf nodded. Satisfied that he now had the way to make the morning as interesting as he wanted, he made his way back down to the Slytherin House and slipped into the Common Room after remembering the password that Lucius had whispered to it the night before.

Once he was in Lucius' dorm room and again annoyed to see the Slytherin Prince was still asleep, he opened the note and read it.

_Unseen she sits upon the shore, knowing that she knows a secret. One of them will meet her if he wants to know more._

As he processed what it could mean, he groaned aloud. "Shit," he said loudly, rousing Lucius immediately from his sleep.

"What's wrong?" he asked concernedly, though in a sleep-heavy voice.

"I have to go. I'll see you later," he said as he ran out to the shore of the lake.


	8. The tide washed over his feet

**008. The tide washed over his feet**

Word Count: 978

* * *

After ten minutes had passed and there was no sign of Lily Evans, James started to relax a bit. He rolled up the bottom of his pants and stood in the shallow part of the water, hoping that the giant squid wouldn't be feeling too sadistic this early in the morning.

Another twenty minutes passed until James heard a twig snap behind him. He whirled around and saw Lily standing there with a hesitant smile on her face.

James growled at her, saying nothing to her as she made her way over to stand next to him. He shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at the water as the tide washed over his feet.

"So the Headmaster did see you and give you my note," she said, sitting on one of the larger rocks.

"And what would you have done if he had not seen me or not delivered the letter?" James asked.

Lily laughed, a smug expression on her face. "I have faith in Albus Dumbledore," she replied. "Would you like to learn the meaning behind the note?"

"I already know the meaning of the note," James snapped, smirking inwardly when he noticed the way her smug grin faltered for a fleeting second.

"Oh?" she asked.

"It means you have nothing better to do than to stick your nose into things that are absolutely none of your business and then try to better yourself by using it to your advantage."

"You make me sound far too much like a Slytherin," she said, sounding quite affronted with the notion.

"If the shoe fits," James groused. "What did you see?"

"I saw you consorting with Lucius Malfoy," Lily said, instantly sobering and adopting a look of concern. "Has he done something to you that made you go back to him after what you did with him that one time?"

"You mean when we fucked?" James asked, feeling triumphant as she flushed a violent red. He would honestly be more interested in her if she weren't such a prude. Honestly, being unable to hear the word 'fuck' without blushing. It was pathetic. "He did absolutely nothing to make me go back to him. I just thought that, since I had such a good time the first time around, he might be willing to take me on for another few rounds," he explained.

Lily stared at him as though she didn't believe James, but he remained firm in what he said. He might not know the Slytherin all too well, but that didn't mean he wasn't at least marginally attracted to the Prince of Slytherin. He was not going to sell out the man's secrets simply to satisfy the curiosity of one woman, who would likely run off to tell Dumbledore all that she had learned without thinking about any possible consequences that would follow that action.

"Fine, he didn't do anything to you," Lily said. "I still don't think it's a good idea for you to go back to him for more," she paused, taking a deep breath. "It's not a good idea for you to go to Lucius Malfoy for sex when there are other options."

"Are you propositioning me?" James asked with a crooked grin. He had never thought such a line of thought could come from the studious young woman, nor that she would ever outwardly acknowledge such thoughts.

Lily flushed red. "If you put half as much time into your studies as you do into making sure that you get laid, you would be able to be one of the top students here at Hogwarts. You don't need to put as much emphasis on carnal activities as you do. It's not healthy."

"It's not healthy to breath parchment either. Whereas you need books to survive in this world, I choose my sustenance to be sex," he replied. "And no matter what you think you saw and how you plan to try to use it to your advantage, I will not change what sustains me. Overall, the way I challenge myself is far more difficult than the way you choose to challenge yourself," he said, knowing without a doubt that Lily would take the bait and ask.

"And how's that?"

"Well," James said. "Since Lucius, I discovered, has this uncanny ability to bring me to climax using only words, I find it a challenge to try and withstand as much of what he can deliver as I can stand."

"How will that help you in the world after Hogwarts? It's not useful at all!" Lily exclaimed.

James grinned and leaned down so his nose nearly touched Lily's, making her blush slightly. "While it may not make me rich I find it more applicable than being able to write a chronologic list of all the Goblin Wars for the past fourteen centuries, and all the details about them," he said before walking off. Now, if he could manage to get back into the Slytherin House, he could hopefully have breakfast with Lucius and the Slytherin could explain a bit more about the situation in which they found themselves.

And hopefully Lily Evans would not be back to bother him about his interactions with Lucius, nor would she approach Dumbledore and persuade him to take action, even if it was "all for the best," as the Headmaster would no doubt claim should he chose to insert himself into the budding relationship between James and the Prince of Slytherin.


	9. Let's make gingerbread!

**009. Let's make ginger bread!**

Word Count: 1,000

* * *

James found himself, as usual, drifting off in History of Magic. Sirius was already asleep and Remus was reading what was likely Severus' latest essay when it came to the informative part of his lycanthrope potion. He was offering insight from the werewolf's perspective - which would no doubt give Severus an extra edge when it came to making his final submission to the Council who elected Potions Masters.

This time, though, when he drifted off, James dreamed about something he had not expected to dream about in the least.

He felt the same feeling of being trapped as when he had been victim to the sequence of recurring dreams - which he had not yet informed Lucius about, though he had meant to on a number of occasions - as he was sucked into the dream meant for him.

_Lucius had his hair tucked back in a long braid down his back as he lay back on the grass of the lawn outside Godric's Hollow. He seemed to be asleep, enjoying the sun until a young boy about seven years old ran out to him. _

_"Papa! Papa, wake up!" he cried happily. _

_James gasped slightly when he recognized the boy to be the same he had seen in his previous dream. _

_Lucius opened his eyes and looked at the boy sleepily. "Harry, child, what is it?" he asked._

_"Uncle Sev brought me a birthday present," the child said happily, showing Lucius what was in his hands - a young python. "Isn't he awesome?" he asked._

_Lucius smiled as he noticed Severus walking out to them. "Isn't Harry a bit young for you to be trying to ensure that he is in Slytherin?" he asked. "James is dead-set on Harry making it into Gryffindor."_

_"Where is he? As much as I find him irritating, I doubt he would miss his son's eighth birthday," Severus said as he took a seat next to Lucius._

_"He's with Remus and the Black mutt, making sure that when they come here for Harry's party later, they behave themselves."_

_Harry grinned and set the snake on Lucius' stomach, making Lucius twitch a bit at the sudden sensation of scales on his skin. "Uncle Sev said that since I can talk to snakes, he'd get me a cobra when I turn eleven."_

_Lucius looked over at Severus, who smiled back at him. "How long have you known he was a Parseltongue?" he asked._

_"Since he started talking to the snake after I gave it to him," Severus replied._

The tell-tale thunder sounded again and James found himself inside the kitchen of Godric's Hollow, rooted to the doorway.

_Dream-James was with a four year old Harry, staring out the window at the snow that was falling in droves from the sky._

_"We can't visit Remy and his pack today, can we?" Harry asked. _

_There was a sound at the doorway to the kitchen and Harry, Dream-James, and James all turned to see Lucius, clearly having just woken up, his face covered in make up, albeit badly done make up. Right away Harry was rolling around on the floor, laughing hysterically. Dream-James had bit his bottom lip in an effort to stop from laughing, though it quickly failed._

_Lucius just crossed his arms over his chest and pouted. "I suppose you think this hilarious enough to prevent yourself from removing it and offering me a proper apology," he said. _

_Dream-James shook his head. "I didn't do it," he said through his laughter. "I may have helped Harry do it, but it was not my idea," he said with a grin._

_The thunder sounded again and it changed to reveal another scene that seemed to be around the same time - snow was still falling, though all three were in the sitting room. Dream-James and Harry looked completely bored but Lucius just eyed the two of them suspiciously._

_"Why don't you do something that will keep you occupied?" he suggested and James looked at him with a grin. _

_"By occupied I take it to mean you don't want us coming anywhere near you with make up again?" he asked, receiving only a swat upside the back of his head for an answer._

_Harry grinned and stood up suddenly. "I know!" he exclaimed. "Let's make ginger bread!" _

_Dream-James shrugged and looked over at Lucius, who simply stared at him in response. "Yes, Lucy, let's make ginger bread," Dream-James said with a grin at the look Lucius gave him for using the nickname ._

_Harry let out a loud whoop and ran into the kitchen, James not far behind him. Lucius reluctantly trailed behind the two of them, though he smiled and seemed to become much more interested in the ginger bread when Harry ambushed him and launched himself into the Elf's arms. Dream-James looked over at the two of them and laughed as he pulled out the ingredients needed to make the bread._

"James," Remus said quietly, shaking James' shoulder.

James opened his eyes and sleepily glared at the werewolf. "What is it?" he groused at the man.

"Class is over for the day, and we thought it might be better than leaving you in the class until you woke up again," Remus said by way of explanation.


	10. I don't quite understand

**010. I don't quite understand**

Word Count: 950

* * *

James headed up to the Hospital Wing, wondering all the while why he was going up there. His question was probably not in any of Madame Pomfrey's areas of expertise, but it was most likely the fact that she was under a Healer's Oath to keep the status of any of her patients confidential - unless their status offered a threat to the student or to others.

He walked into the Wing and was inexplicably relieved to find that it was completely empty. He walked over to the door of Madame Pomfrey's office and hesitated to knock, but did so after a short moment. Upon being bade to enter the room, he suddenly felt a recurrence of his utter nervousness.

Madame Pomfrey was sitting behind a large desk, setting aside a large medical book. She smiled at James. "Is there something I can help you with, Mr. Potter?" she asked.

"I have a question," he said.

"It must be quite the important question if I find you coming here during your free period. Have a seat."

"This needs to be kept completely confidential," James said as he did as she had requested of him, and without a word Madame Pomfrey established a number of complex privacy wards around the room and warded the door impenetrable.

"Alright, Mr. Potter. Ask your question."

James sighed. "Is it possible for a Pureblood to catch a sexual disease from sleeping around?" he asked.

Madame Pomfrey looked confused for a moment before she caught on to where this question might lead. "It is quite impossible for a Pureblood to catch a sexual disease, regardless of whether they sleep around with a number of people or only a few people. I do believe the only way for a Pureblooded Wizard to receive such a disease is for someone to deliberately cast a spell that infects them with it," she said.

"Is it possible to check for the presence of such diseases?"

"There is one test that I could perform for you," she said. "Though I would need a vial of your blood and about a week."

James nodded. "Could you do that one for me?"

Madame Pomfrey nodded and summoned a vial. "Make a vertical incision with your wand on the palm-side of your thumb and drain the blood into the vial," she said gently, handing him the vial. "You do realize that, if this test comes up positive for anything, you will have to be put on the Ministry of Magic's Registry."

"They have a registry for Wizards with sexual diseases?" James asked incredulously.

Madame Pomfrey nodded. "It is supposedly kept confidential, though there have been accusations that the Minister has been using the list to blackmail upstanding Witches and Wizards," she said.

James groaned as he watched the blood drip into the vial.

After the vial had been returned to Madame Pomfrey and the cut on James' thumb healed, Madame Pomfrey leaned forward and looked at James. "Why are you here to get a test for sexual diseases?" she asked.

"Surely you have heard by now of my reputation," James said, crossing his arms and looking away from the Healer. "I simply wish to know that I am not infected with anything."

"I don't quite understand, Mr. Potter," Madame Pomfrey said quietly. "Why did you chose to come to me to take the test now?"

"I am graduating Hogwarts this year and I want to make sure that I have a life ahead of me that's free of anything that could impede me," James said.

Madame Pomfrey leaned back and smiled. "Have you perhaps found someone who has affected you enough to make you wish to relinquish your current reputation?" she asked and James shrugged. "Remember that everything we say in this room remains completely confidential. Not even the Headmaster, nor the Minister of Magic, can compel me to speak about anything that was said without themselves being cursed for doing so."

James nodded, Madame Pomfrey's statement seeming to placate him enough to talk. "I met someone, yes, but I do not want to mention them at all in this matter, unless the test results prove that I have somehow put their life in danger. I am risking too much by staying with them at all," he muttered.

"Care to elaborate on that, Mr. Potter, or would you prefer to simply leave and allow me to perform the test?" Madame Pomfrey asked gently. She could push certain matters when James returned to receive the results of his test. For now, though, it was very much like walking on a razor blade - step down too hard or push an issue too far and James would cut her off, leaving her only with unanswered questions and likely a wounded ego. Such behavior was common among the Pureblood teenagers, though she was not sure why.

"When will the results be ready?" James asked.

"At the end of next week," Madame Pomfrey said as she watched James stand to leave. "Mister Potter, I would like you to know that you can approach me at any time and since the confidentiality has been established, it will forever be in place," she said.

James nodded. "Thank you," he said with a smile before leaving the room.


	11. Speak more slowly

**011. Speak more slowly**

Word Count: 1,206

* * *

James looked over at Lucius from his spot on the bed, not sure he had heard the Slytherin correctly. "I'm sorry," he said without an ounce of sarcasm. "I didn't quite catch that. Would you repeat what you said?" he asked.

Lucius smirked and leaned forward to kiss James. "Forgive my blunder, I forgot. When speaking with Gryffindors it is necessary to speak more slowly and use smaller words," he said teasingly. "My father knows that I have found my mate, and he wishes to meet you in a formal manner over the winter holidays."

"I am being extended a formal invitation to the Malfoy fortress?" He grinned. "I heard that strangers who come in don't come out again."

Lucius returned the grin, knowing that James was being very much light-hearted in his teasing. It was true, though, about one person that not even the Ministry knew about. "Would you like to hear about that?" he asked, completely serious. James would have to take an Oath of Secrecy, but if he were really willing to bond with the Malfoy heir, he had to learn about some of the less pleasant things that the Malfoy family hid behind their stoic, proper masks.

"How could I pass up the chance to learn about one of the skeletons in your family's closet? Unless that skeleton is literal, rather than figurative," he added quickly. "And in exchange I'll tell you one of my family's secrets."

"You'll need to take a Wizard's Oath before I'll tell you anything of consequence," Lucius said casually.

"I thought as much," James said. He held his wand up and placed it next to Lucius' on the bed. "I solemnly swear that, for as long as I live, I will not reveal nor attempt to reveal anything discussed in this conversation from this point forward, unless Lucius Malfoy does declare that this Oath is null and void," he said, offering the open palm of his wand hand to Lucius, who picked up his wand and pressed the tip of it to James' hand, giving James the sensation of being pinched rather sharply, as they completed the Oath.

As James rubbed his hand, not used to the feeling that the Oath left with him, Lucius couldn't help but to admit to himself that he was quite impressed with the Gryffindor. To trust Lucius enough to take an Oath of Secrecy without asking anything about why needed to take such an oath was impressive, considering they had been friends less than six months and mates even less than that.

"Alright, James said, a shit-eating grin on his face. "I took the bloody Oath. Now spill. I like a good story," he said.

Lucius returned the grin. "Get comfortable," he said, reinforcing the privacy wards around his bed and drawing the canopy shut. "It's something of a long story."

James nestled up against Lucius, resting his head on the Slytherin's chest. "I've got the time," he replied as he closed his eyes.

"Before I start, I want to make one thing clear. There will be some things I tell you that you will not like, nor will you approve of. Regardless of your personal opinion on anything I say, you will keep your mouth shut and let me tell you what I plan on telling you." He looked down at James. "I also don't care to hear your opinion on anything I tell you when I am finished speaking."

James nodded. "Alright, I got it. Now tell me the story before I get bored," James said with a grimace. It didn't at all come as a surprise to him that the Malfoy family dealt with Dark magic, but he still did not appreciate anyone telling him to keep his mouth shut. Though he supposed that, as Lucius' mate, once they bonded, he would have to know when to speak and when to keep his mouth shut without being told.

"Are you ready?" Lucius asked and James nodded.

"When I was six years old, my father informed me that we were going to have a guest come over and stay awhile. What I did not know was, at the time, the guest my father spoke of was the Dark Lord," he said. "So as I prepared for the guest's arrival, I kept looking out the window." He looked down at James, who was watching him, already fascinated by the story he was being told. "Have you ever seen the aura of pure evil?" he asked and James shook his head. "I saw it from a distance, but it dominated everything in its path. I swear it would kill even a unicorn," he said with an involuntary shudder at the mere thought.

"So I ran down to my father, and I was all dressed up for the guest as was appropriate, and he just laughed when he saw how scared I was. He told me that as long as I did nothing to disrespect the man, his evil would not harm me. When the Dark Lord came into the manor, I was still scared, so I stayed attached to my father's side. At the dinner table, he looked over at me and asked why I was so scared of him. I said, 'You're a Dark Lord. You control evil.' He laughed and it sent chills down my spine." Lucius paused, taking a breath before he spoke again. "He said that as long as I wished no harm upon him and I did not deny the fact that he was as powerful as he was, I would never come to harm."

"But the Dark Lord still exists," James said, unable to stop from interrupting Lucius. "How did he not leave?"

Sending a warning look James' way, Lucius continued with his story. "The Ministry came to see if my father had left anything incriminating in plain view and the Dark Lord was still there. My father bade me take him to my room, which has it's own patio, so he could get out before the Ministry could get hold of him. When I took him there, though, he changed somehow. Whereas he went onto the patio the serpent-like man that is the nightmare of all Light Wizards, he left the room looking very much like a student who had only recently graduated Hogwarts. He took me back out to my father and simply walked out the door."

"The Ministry has no idea that they could have had the Dark Lord in Azkaban by now?"

"No," Lucius said with a smirk. "It is rather entertaining for me to think back on it now that I know the story behind what the man has done." He looked down at James, the smirk still on his face. "Now, I do believe that it is your turn to let loose a Potter family secret," he said.


	12. I head the camera shutter go off

**012. I heard the camera shutter go off**

Word Count: 958

* * *

There were some things that James did not want to get too involved in while he still had his youth.

The Great War, for instance, that was going on right now was one of them. Of course, he would eventually find himself involved in that, whether he wanted to be or not, and there was no question about that. Given the story that Lucius had told him the other day, he was now split. The idea that if he fought on the side of the Light, he would essentially be turning his back on Lucius, his mate, and everything that encompassed that relationship. But, should he choose to defect to the Dark side, he would forfeit his spot in the Potter family and with that division, he had a very small chance of ever keeping his children safe, should he ever get the chance to have children.

If he explained things to Dumbledore, he had no way of knowing how the Headmaster would use that information against him. If he went to the Dark Lord, the most feared man in the better part of the century, he would likely hit the floor before he could even open his eyes, the curse of death dissipating as the life left his eyes - regardless of the fact that his presence would signal that he had chosen the side of the Malfoys, of the Dark Lord over the side his own family had allied itself with for centuries.

He again thought back to his family.

No one outside the family had ever been permitted to know just how possessive and jealous the Potters really were. Once a Potter had claimed a mate, no one was allowed to touch that mate again.

One instance in particular still stood out in his mind, and it scared him a bit to think back on what his father had done.

_James was three years old, playing with one of his toys, when he heard a commotion in the front hall. When he wandered out to the hall to see what was going on he saw his father standing over the mutilated body of one of the men that James knew held the secrets of the Potter family. His mother was staring at her husband, an astonished and frightened look on her face. _

_"What's wrong, Father?" James had asked, making his father jump before he turned to face his son._

_"James, go to your room and forget that you ever saw this," the man ordered, frightening James, even as he only stopped to think about what had transpired on that day._

_James had retreated and his father had turned back to his wife, not noticing that James had stopped to watch what had happened next._

_"What the bloody hell were you thinking?" James' mother asked as she came out of her daze, slapping James' father on his shoulder. "Dumbledore is due here in mere moments and you think it appropriate to kill one of our Secret Keepers? Do you remember what he said the last time he walked in on a dead body in our house?"_

_James' father waved his wand at the man's body and it disappeared. "He was a traitor to us," was all he said before walking into the sitting room. James snuck closer, standing in the doorway of the room across the hall from the sitting room._

_"Darling," his mother said. "Tell me what happened."_

_James' father nodded. "The man was a cousin of mine, the child of a Muggle and my uncle. The Mudblood approached me and said that he wanted me to repair his injured status within the Potter family, and since he was carrying our secrets, he would not hesitate to approach the wrong kind of people with the information to get what he wanted."_

_"Then why did you kill him, when you could have just Obliviated him without question?"_

_"Because he saw you walk out of the kitchen and through the room. I heard the camera shutter go off and I didn't even hesitate. You know I refuse to allow anyone other than myself to watch you."_

_"You mean you don't want anyone else appreciating my appearance,"_

_"Or any other aspect about you," James' father interrupted and James turned away._

_He had the chance now to get outside, since Dumbledore was the one who kept his parents busy. He would have the chance to try and contact the man who had the legs of a horse. The centaur man._

He felt a hand on his shoulder and he jumped a bit.

"James, you need to get yourself a bit more sleep, especially since we're going to Potions class next," Remus said, looking concernedly at James.

"I'll be fine." James said, waving his concern away.

Remus looked like he was about to say something else, but Sirius pulled his attention away with a grin and a lewd comment.

James leaned back in his seat and stared out the window as he waited for the class to conclude. He grinned. Even something as minute as his Transfigurations class was something that James did not want to get too involved in, it seemed.


	13. I could hear someone moaning

**013. I could hear someone moaning**

Word Count: 1,309

* * *

James Potter, the quintessential Gryffindor, did not mind that he was spending more time around Lucius Malfoy, the quintessential Slytherin, than his own housemates. However, he had a feeling that he was pushing the envelope when the subject of what everyone was doing for the winter holidays.

Sirius had probably found it odd that James was leaving a day later than the majority of the Hogwarts students, and that he had mentioned that he wasn't going home to his family for the holidays, but he hadn't said anything. He was likely too preoccupied because he and Remus Lupin had gotten together and come out as an "official" couple, something that James was grateful for - in many different ways.

Remus, for his part, had landed an eery look on James. James hated that look - the look that he would keep his mouth closed about his secret, but that his silence wouldn't last long.

Of course, the reason he refused to tell anyone where he was going is because, upon learning his predestined location was Malfoy Manor, they would have promptly stuck him in the psych ward in St. Mungo's.

He was waiting Lucius in one of the empty classrooms near the Slytherin common room around midnight after everyone had left, his bag packed and shrunk to fit in his pocket, under his Invisibility Cloak - a gift from Lucius after he had delivered the news that they were mates - and started getting nervous after about ten minutes past midnight. They were supposed to have met up by now.

Just as he made up his mind to head into the hallway and look for Lucius, an arm slipped around his waist from behind him. He let out an almost girlish shriek and tried to get away until he heard the quiet chuckling that only Lucius could pull off without sounding too much like a pompous asshole. "You son of a bitch!" James all but yelled, only to again be met with Lucius' chuckling.

"I hope you have no plans to speak to my family with such coarse language," Lucius admonished with a small smile as he pulled the Cloak off James and they headed down the hallway to the main entrance of the school.

"If your family has a habit of sneaking around like vampire bats and groping innocent Gryffindors, then they will get the same bloody reaction from me." He slipped his hand into his mate's, taking note of the way Lucius smiled at the physical contact. "How did you know where I was standing if I was under the Cloak?" he asked as they breached the main hallway without running into any of the teachers or ghosts or waking any of the portraits that hung in the hall.

"I know your scent, and the Invisibility Cloak only hides you from sight."

"So what exactly motivated you to make the travel arrangements at such a late hour?"

"The joy of seeing you at your best. In the dark," Lucius drawled with a smirk as they made it out the front door and headed to the point where the Anti-Apparition wards ended.

Once they reached the point and Lucius was sure that James was ready, he pulled the Gryffindor to his side and James smirked. "You seem quite pleased that you passed your Apparition test and I have yet to take mine," he said as he settled himself against Lucius.

"It makes certain things easier for me," he said. "And it may come in handy later on in our relationship."

James flushed slightly under the leer Lucius sent his way before a thought came into his mind and he smirked mischievously up at the Slytherin. "Are you ready to go?" he asked, hoping his plan would be able to flesh out.

"I was prepared to go before you even entered the classroom," Lucius said. "And I am going to Apparate in three seconds."

James' smirk widened and, just as the three seconds came to an end, he pulled the Slytherin's head down and their lips met just as they disappeared.

They arrived not in the front hallway, as James had expected, but rather in a large, king-sized bed. He found himself under Lucius and the other was staring down at him with something other than hospitality shining in his eyes.

"I suppose you think you're quite clever, don't you?"

"Yes, well, as a Gryffindor, I find myself burdened with my overflow of clever-ness. Or something," he said and Lucius smirked in response.

"How eloquent."

"That is another thing we Gryffindors find ourselves weighted down with, eloquent-ocity." Before he could continue speaking, he found Lucius' lips on top of his, blocking him from saying anything else.

Moments passed as they leisurely kissed, until James' hands moved to caress Lucius' ears - one of his major sweet spots, James had learned within minutes during their first encounter - and the Wood Elf let out a soft moan.

Only seconds after that the door opened and the man who seemed to be an older version of Lucius walked in. James recognized him from the Hospital Wing and froze, his eyes wide until the man smiled. "I suppose I ought not be surprised. My mate and I did not even last three weeks before we were regularly sharing a bed," he said. "Though Lucius, you should have given us some kind of warning that you were going straight to your room."

"How did you know my mate and I arrived?" Lucius asked as he stood and helped James to his feet before straightening his clothes.

His father smirked, proving to James that the man really was a Malfoy. No one else could pull off their smirk, no matter how hard they tried. "Apart from the numerous wards being disrupted, when I was walking to the front hall to repair the wards, I could hear someone moaning."

"You decided nothing would give you more satisfaction than barging in when my mate and I were getting comfortable in bed together?" Lucius asked, leveling a trademark Malfoy glare on his father, and James suddenly felt that perhaps he was causing an unneeded division between Lucius and his father. Lucius seemed to notice the way he suddenly tensed up - as though he was preparing to be struck - and he turned his mercury eyes onto James. "You have done nothing wrong," he said, his tone changing to a more gentle level though his eyes remained as angry.

"Are you sure?" James asked in a small voice. This was not good - the last time he'd caused a division to become unnecessarily aggravated was when he had taken Longbottom's girl Alice's offer of a blow-job and Frank had found out about it. If he had caused an argument and a division again, only with his mate and his mate's father, he had a feeling he would end up much worse for the wear.

Lucius' father spoke this time. "I assure you, young Mister Potter, that you have done absolutely nothing wrong. My son is just irritated that I interrupted what would likely have otherwise been quite the experience for the two of you. He will, however," he said, turning the Malfoy glare on his son, "calm himself and then he will bring you to the sitting room, where my mate and I can be properly introduced to you."


	14. I think a spider bit me!

**014. I think a spider bit me!**

Word Count: 949

* * *

James followed Lucius down the stairs into the sitting room, where the Wood Elf's father was waiting for them.

"Have a seat, both of you," he said as soon as he walked into the room.

Lucius led the way, smiling slightly when James took hold of his hand for support. Once the two of them were sitting on the couch across from where Lucius' father was standing.

It didn't take more than a brief moment before Lucius' father started to speak. "Before we get down to the pleasantries at hand, Lucius, I will have you know that resetting the wards were an incredible pain to reset. I do not want to have to deal with something of that nature again, am I understood?" he asked, leveling a warning glare onto his son.

Lucius nodded. "I apologize for that, father. It was my original plan to Apparate into the sitting room, as we had discussed previously, but I was distracted at the last minute," he said with a sly grin, causing James to flush slightly.

"Very well," Lucius' father said, though he glanced quickly over at James, making the Gryffindor flush completely red. "Let us move on to more lively subjects of conversation."

It took Lucius only a moment before he took the hint. "Father, this is James Potter. James, this is my father Abraxas Malfoy," he said.

James stood up and offered his hand to Lucius' father. "It's nice to meet you, sir," he said.

"The pleasure is entirely mine, young Mister Potter," Abraxas said with a friendly smile.

Lucius stood. "Where is Mother?" he asked.

"I am right here," came a quiet voice from behind James and Lucius, and the two of them turned around.

The voice belonged to a woman who appeared to be around the same age as Abraxas. She had burgundy-red hair that reached past her elbows, with pale skin and surprisingly blue eyes, though the one thing that caught James' attention was a large, jagged scar on the left side of her neck. His eyes widened quite noticeably at the scar, but before he could look away from the scar, he noticed that both Lucius and his mother staring at him.

"James, this is my mother, Eva," Lucius said.

Eva offered James her hand, which James took without a moment's hesitation. "Please forgive me for staring," he said quietly. "I did not mean to offend you."

The woman just smiled and nodded. "It is generally the first thing that people notice when I do not wear a Glamour," she said.

James nodded, though his eyes had once again strayed back to the scar.

Lucius noticed this and subtly nudged James in the side. "Stop staring at my mother, Potter," he said warningly.

James nodded and looked over at Lucius, who smirked. "I wouldn't want you to get jealous when it involves your own mother," James said, making the smirk completely disappear from Lucius' face.

Abraxas chuckled and walked over to Eva. "Why don't we make our way out to the sunroom for tea?" he suggested. "I am confident that you have some questions for us."

James nodded, not sure what to say at the moment.

Lucius, however, seemed to pick up on that fact and he took hold of James' and led him out to the sunroom, though at a noticeably slower pace than that of his parents. "Please do try not to stare at my mother's throat," he said.

"What happened?" he asked curiously.

"She was attacked by a vampire," he replied. "There is an intense hatred between the Elves and the bloodsuckers, and one of them thought that my mother insulted her, so she attacked."

James looked over at Eva's back. "What happened to the vampire?" he asked quietly.

"My father did what any respectable Wood Elf would do when his mate was attacked. He killed the woman on the spot."

"And nothing happened to your father?" James asked curiously.

Lucius smirked wickedly. "There are ancient laws in place that forbid the prosecution of any so-called Dark creature who acts to defend his mate," he said. "The only thing that happened was the fact that the Wizarding World at large was reminded that my parents are not just the pretty faces that they appear to be," he added.

Just as they breached the threshold of the sunroom, James felt a sharp pinch on his neck, and he pulled his free hand up to rub his neck.

Lucius and Eva looked at him suddenly.

"Is something wrong?" Lucius asked.

"I think a spider bit me!" James said absently, still rubbing his neck.

Abraxas chuckled as he pulled out a seat for Eva. "It was merely the finalization of the wards recognizing you. From this point, as long as you are accompanied by one of us, you will be allowed entry into any of the Malfoy properties," he said. "Now, take a seat. We have much to discuss at the moment, and I don't care to keep you two from each other for too much longer," he said, smiling slyly after a moment.

Lucius grinned as he and James looked at each other in tandem.


	15. The world swayed

**015. The world swayed**

Word Count: 758

* * *

Three hours after having tea with Lucius' parents, James and Lucius found themselves alone in Malfoy Manor. Abraxus and Eva had been called away to an emergency meeting somewhere in Wales, to which neither James nor Lucius were permitted to attend.

James sat on the couch next to Lucius, not wanting to appear too bored.

It only took Lucius a short moment before he picked up on that fact and pulled James to his feet. "This is a large manor, James," he said with a purr in his voice. "And we are very much alone in it."

"Not counting the house elves, you mean," James said. He pulled himself closer to Lucius, a smirk taking up residence on his face as he did so.

"They do not count," Lucius said.

"Then what is it that you are suggesting?" James asked.

Lucius said nothing, instead choosing to wrap his arms around James' waist and Apparate back into his bedroom.

As soon as he nudged the shorter man onto the bed and leaned over him, James felt a pleasant shudder go down his spine. "I'm still slightly unclear as to what you're aiming for," he said with a coy smirk.

Lucius returned the smirk, but with a predatory look in his eyes, and he leaned down to capture James' mouth in a deep kiss. "Must I honestly spell it out for you?" he murmured against James' mouth in an affectionate tone.

James leaned forward a bit in an attempt to kiss Lucius, but the Elf made sure to stay out of his reach, the trademark Malfoy smirk still plastered on his face.

"You are not the one in charge, James," Lucius purred.

"Don't care," James replied as he cupped Lucius' ass through the black slacks, pulling the man closer to him. That simple action had Lucius pushing him further onto the bed and crawling on top of James in a very feline manner.

Clothing was shed quickly, landing in tangled piles around the bed.

Lucius leaned close enough to James to whisper a foreign word in his ear. Suddenly, the world swayed and James felt his glasses being removed. "What happened?" he asked with a slurred voice, before noticing that his vision was clear.

"A spell that heightens senses," Lucius said quietly before saying another spell, this one much more familiar to James, as a lubrication spell. Lucius knelt between his lover's open legs and took his cock in his hand, stroking it slowly and making sure that it was evenly distributed.

Two lube-coated fingers circled James' puckered opening before they slowly slid inside him. He scissored the digits, smirking at the way that James moaned quietly as he was stretched. Satisfied with his preparation, Lucius moved forward, the head of his cock rubbing against James' pink hole, and with his hands pinning James' arms above his head, he entered him in one swift, silent thrust.

His eyes almost crossing at the sensation of being so entirely enveloped in such tight warmth, Lucius had to physically bite back a groan as James moaned again.

James wrapped his legs around Lucius' lean waist, crossing his ankles at the small of Lucius' back. Taking his cock in his hand, he smeared the pre-cum down his hard length and began to stroke himself in time with Lucius' thrusts. "Shit, you're almost too big," he said, smiling up at his lover, slightly pulling his arms up to see if he could free them from Lucius' hold, but Lucius just tightened his grip on the younger man's arms.

As his climax approached, James closed his eyes and let out a deep groan, digging his nails in the parts of Lucius' arms that he could reachw. When his orgasm washed over him, he let out another groan and absently felt Lucius lean down and bite his right collarbone hard enough to draw blood.

The Elf climaxed seconds later, his teeth clamping down so hard that it felt very much like the bone was broken. After he came down from his daze, Lucius pulled out of James and settled in next to the smaller man.

It wasn't long before either of them had fallen asleep.


	16. It was a long way to the ground

**016. It was a long way to the ground**

Word Count: 942

* * *

Two days later, after a morning roll in the hay, James woke up when Lucius crawled from the bed. "Where are you going?" he asked quietly.

"I need to speak with my mother about something before she and my father go out again," he said. "Go back to sleep. I'll be back in a short while."

Curious, but too tired to further inquire, he nodded and pulled his head back under the pillow, falling back to sleep almost immediately. It wasn't long before he was pulled into a dream that seemed almost too real to be just a dream.

It was late at night, that much he could tell.

_"Daddy, tell me a story," came a tired voice from the side of the bed._

_Without seeming too surprised or needing to force himself to wake up, Lucius sat up and picked up a young boy, allowing him to get comfortable on the bed next to him. "Harry, you were supposed to be asleep almost two hours ago," he said, chastising the boy quietly._

_"I had a nightmare," was the quiet excuse._

_Lucius looked over at James, who was awake, if still very much groggy. "Would you care to participate in this, or would you rather just hide your head under the pillow and go back to sleep?" he asked with a tired smirk._

_James bared his teeth and burrowed his head under the pillow, seeming to go back to sleep almost immediately._

_Smiling, Lucius turned his full attention back to Harry, who had sidled up to Lucius' side under the blanket. "Alright, Harry. Do you want to hear the story of Icarus?" he asked._

_"Is he the bird-man who found out that it was a long way to the ground when he flew too close to the sun?" the child asked._

_"Did Poppa already tell you that story?"_

_"Uncle Severus did. He said that the lions were arrogant and that's why they aren't allowed to fly," Harry replied with a loud yawn._

_Lucius smirked, but he said nothing as he settled back into bed, ready to go to sleep. Harry was drifting off as it was, but the four year old had been having nightmares more and more frequently, so he wasn't planning on sending him back across the hall to his bedroom. "Don't tell Poppa that," he said._

_Harry nodded and yawned again._

_Knowing just what to do, Lucius started to run his free hand through the tangled mss that was Harry's hair - a trick that had always managed to lull Harry off to sleep, and one that more often than not comforted James whenever he experienced nightmares of his own. He started to quietly hum a song, an Elvish lullaby, and within minutes, Harry was deep in sleep and the sound of soft snores came from under James' pillow. Lucius merely smiled to himself and closed his eyes, not needing to wait for sleep to come to him as well._

James felt himself being shaken rudely awake and he reached out a hand to stop the assault. "What?" he murmured quietly.

"You were humming an Elvish lullaby," Lucius said, clearly taken by surprise. "How did you hear it?" he asked curiously.

"I was dreaming and you were humming the song, Lucy," James said, yawning. "Is something wrong?" he asked. "Or may I please go back to sleep?"

Lucius chuckled. "I thought you might care to know that it's almost noon, and the House Elves will be delivering us breakfast in a matter of minutes," he said, sitting on the bed next to where James was still laying down, his head halfway underneath his pillow. "Tell me about your dream."

"I dreamed about us," James said absently, sitting up and running a hand through his hair in what seemed to be a half-hearted attempt to force it into something proper, though to no avail.

"Of us?" Lucius asked, not entirely understanding what James was trying to say.

He nodded. "Of us, in a few years," he said. "And of our son."

Lucius looked sharply over at James, not daring to take so much as a single breath. "We're going to have a son?" he asked.

James shrugged and yawned. "I'm not a Seer, so I can't be sure that they're more than just dreams."

"You've had these types of dreams more than just tonight?" he asked.

James nodded, sitting up and absently looking around for his boxers. "It happened about a week after we danced our first mattress mambo, I think," he said. "Have you seen my underwear?" he asked.

Lucius looked around the room before leaning down and grabbing the red silk boxers from the floor about halfway under the bed. "Why didn't you tell me about these dreams before now?" he asked, handing the boxers to James.

"I didn't think it mattered. They're just dreams, anyway," he said, standing up and pulling his boxers on. "Aren't they?"

Lucius had no answer to offer as James walked into the bathroom.


	17. We rolled down the hill

**017. We rolled down the hill**

Word Count: 1,135

* * *

Lucius and James snuck back into the Manor, both of them doing their best to hide their newly accrued bruises and cuts and hoping that they would make it back to Lucius' room without being seen. Unfortunately, they weren't as lucky as they had hoped they'd be, as one of Lucius' parents' House Elves appeared in front of them once they reached the main hall.

"Master Abraxas is looking for Misters Lucius and James in the sitting room right away," the House Elf said, grabbing the hems of both of their shirts and transporting them all into the sitting room where James had first been introduced to Lucius' parents.

Abraxas was waiting for them, silently sipping his tea. When he noticed the bruises on his son and his son's guest, he set his tea down and merely stared expectantly at his son. "Lucius," he said quietly after a moment of awkward silence between the three of them, brushing a nonexistent bit of lint off of his shirt. "I had hoped the two of you would be presentable to meet a rather esteemed man, but that meeting will clearly have to be delayed," he said.

"What do you mean, sir?" James asked, doing his best to look dignified with a black eye and a split lip.

Lucius glanced over at James, smirking slightly at his feigned attempt to look innocent. "We did not get into a fight, if that's what you're afraid of, father," he said, turning his gaze up to his father and doing his best to ignore the slight look he received when his father noticed the large cut on his cheek.

Abraxas smirked. "As glad as I am to hear that, I would much rather prefer an explanation as to what did happen," he said.

James opened his mouth to start talking, but when Abraxas turned a sharp glare on him, he seemed to lose thought of anything he might have said. He closed his mouth and looked at his feet. "We got lost," he said quietly after a brief pause.

"Lucius?"

"I wanted to take James to a concert in Luxembourg last night," Lucius said quietly.

"And we made it," James put in from his spot as he edged away from Abraxas to hide himself almost entirely behind Lucius.

"Attending the concert is what caused these injuries?"

"No sir, not entirely," Lucius said. "On our way home from Luxembourg, we got lost in rural Germany. At about four in the morning, we took a wrong turn. James tripped over a tree branch and after that we rolled down the hill -"

"You rolled down a hill?" Abraxas asked speculatively.

"Not by choice," James interjected, rubbing a bruise on his neck. "Lucius tried to help me up and I pulled him down the hill."

Lucius cleared his throat. "Before we hit the bottom, I managed to take hold of James and then I Apparated the two of us into the gardens just outside of the estate boundaries," he said.

"And what, pray tell, took you so long in making your way into the estate boundaries?" Abraxas asked with another smirk. Neither James nor Lucius said anything, but James looked at the floor, flushing slightly red.

"Father?" Lucius asked quietly. "Who is it that you wanted to introduce us to?" he asked.

"There will be time enough for that answer once the two of you have cleaned yourself up enough. I expect you to return to this room in fifteen minute's time, and dressed properly."

Both Lucius and James nodded, remaining silent as they left the room. Once the door closed behind them, though, they opened up - at least, James did.

"Who do you think it is?" he asked before tripping. Without a word, Lucius wrapped an arm around James' waist and led him down the hall to the bedroom that they'd shared. "Your father is highly influential, so it could be anyone! Who do you think it is?" he asked.

"A bloody pompous arse who will attempt to stick his nose in our business to see why a Potter is spending his winter holidays with the prestigious yet dark Malfoy family," Lucius said with a snort. "As long as no one tries to take you away, I doubt it will be too bad," he said as he and James entered their bedroom.

James grinned and let Lucius take him into the closet,watching as the Elf looked quickly through his impressive collection of robes to find something appropriate for them to wear as a sense of uneasyness rose within him. Anyone would be curious as to why he was with the Malfoy family, that much would be obvious. He was from a high-standing Light family, and the Potters weren't on the friendliest terms with the Malfoys. True, things were nowhere near as vicious between their families as the tension between the Malfoys and the Weaselys, but Potters were expected to side with the Weasely family every time. As he continued his introspection, he allowed Lucius to choose his robes, but he said nothing.

Ten minutes later they were standing just outside the sitting room while Lucius' mother healed their minor wounds, a small smile on her face. "The two of you must remember to remain as respectful as you possibly can," she said before motioning for them to enter the sitting room.

As the door opened, James felt a shudder run down his spine. Instinctively, he reached for Lucius' hand.

The Elf seemed to have anticipated this, and he smirked to James as he pulled him closer to him. "I will not let harm befall you," he whispered.

The door shut behind them and Lucius turned to look at his father, who was sitting in the same chair he had prior to sending Lucius and James out to change. "I'm pleased to see that the two of you can clean up quickly when need be."

"Who did you wish to introduce to us, father?" Lucius asked quietly, sensing James' growing discomfort.

Abraxas just looked over at James, seeming to sense his discomfort as well, and nodded. He stood up and motioned to a man standing in the shadows. Before he could say anything, though, the man spoke.

"That will be all, Abraxas," he said. "I wish to speak to these two alone."


	18. I think I'm going to be ill

**018. I think I'm going to be ill**

Word Count: 1,457

* * *

As the door shut behind Lucius' father, James turned to face the man, trying to see who he was, though his attempts were futile. It didn't take him long to grow impatient with that, but he was nervous enough to refrain from speaking.

Lucius, on the other hand, was not as tolerant of the stranger. "Although I very much dislike portraying myself as rude, sir, I would very much appreciate if you would introduce yourself to us so that we may begin to converse properly," he said, subtly tightening his hold on James as the power spiked in the room.

"It seems as though your father's lessons in etiquette have been corrupted by the young man you have with you," the stranger said as he took a few steps forward.

James' eyes narrowed. "What you say is highly offensive to my family line. I have been trained in the proper etiquette as well, sir," he said coolly, looking over the man. He seemed familiar to him somehow, but he couldn't seem to place the recognition at the moment.

"You will find that I am well-aware of that, young Potter," the man said. He smirked and looked over at Lucius. "You will also find that, while I am curious as to why a Potter is so comfortable with the Malfoy family, I am not quite the bloody pompous arse that some might consider me to be."

Lucius flushed red and looked at the ground, saying nothing.

James peered at the man, not trusting him in his anonymity. "Who are you?" he asked curiously.

"He's the Dark Lord, James," Lucius said quietly as the man drew closer to them, tightening his hold on James protectively.

The man smirked and reached out to lift James' face a bit, ignoring the warning growl that came from the Malfoy heir. "Indeed I am the Dark Lord, and you will refer to me as such," he said. "Now that the introductions have been made, indulge me."

"What are you talking about?" James asked, pulling his head away from the man's touch and leaning back against Lucius. He flinched when the man gripped his chin painfully, forcing him to meet the man's angry eyes.

"You will address me with the proper respect, boy," the Dark Lord said. He turned his gaze to Lucius, who was growling lowly and glaring at the Dark Lord's hand. "And you ought to know better than to behave that way," he snapped. "Explain yourselves."

James froze, waiting for a moment to see what Lucius was going to do. When the growling merely continued, he looked up at the Dark Lord, who was glaring at the two of them, waiting for an explanation. "You are aware of Lucius', umm, heritage?" he asked. "Sir," he added quickly as the man smirked at him.

"I am well aware of the fact that Lucius is a Wood Elf, as are his parents," the Dark Lord said as he removed his hand from James' chin.

"Yes, well, apparently Wood Elves are creatures who have an innate ability to sense their mates," James started. "Actually, it was quite odd how we met, since it had quite a bit to do with a bet that Sirius made with me when we were drinking Firewhiskey at the beginning of the year, and we didn't get off to the best start with each other, sir," he said before he felt Lucius clap his hand over his mouth.

"You're rambling, James," Lucius whispered into James' ear, smirking as he spoke. "What he means to say, my Lord, is that I have come into my inheritance as an Elf and I have since learned that James is my mate," he said, not moving his hand from James' mouth.

The Dark Lord smirked in return. "This is an interesting development, Lucius. And what does the young Potter think of this situation?" he asked.

James remained silent, though there was a grin on his face underneath Lucius' hand.

"Lucius, remove your hand and bring your mate to the couch. You and I have things to discuss, and I would like to see what the young Potter has to say on certain matters," the Dark Lord said.

Lucius nodded and did so as the Dark Lord sat on the chair opposite the couch.

About two hours passed and James had fallen asleep, his head on Lucius' shoulder as Lucius continued to speak with the Dark Lord. They had both noticed that James was asleep, and had moved on to discussing more personal issues between James and Lucius.

"This is a rather odd match, Lucius," the Dark Lord said. "What does the young Potter think of the fact that he was destined to be your mate?"

"We have not discussed the matter outright yet, my Lord, but he has not expressed any sort of displeasure at anything that we have done together."

The Dark Lord nodded, but said nothing for a moment. James shifted and muttered quietly, though he was still clearly asleep. He nestled closer to Lucius, who pulled him into his lap and wrapped his arms around him. That seemed to settle James, as he merely hummed quietly and fell silent once more. "Have you discussed the matter of the escalating war with him?" the Dark Lord asked, smirking at the interaction between the Elf and his mate. "The Potters have always fought on the side of the light, and I do not care to lose the Malfoy heir to Albus Dumbledore."

"I assure you, my Lord, that my loyalty remains with you. However, James and I have been focusing on our schooling and trying to stay out of Dumbledore's sights, sir," Lucius said. "I have not asked James about his future plans, though I would hope that my mate would fight at my side, my Lord."

The Dark Lord nodded. "Having a Potter fight for our cause would be highly beneficial. Do what you can to persuade him that ours is the side he ought to be fighting for." He paused. "How is your bond progressing with the young Potter?" he asked.

"Why is that important, my Lord?" Lucius asked.

"You forget that I am not an Elf, Lucius, and the idea of a bond forming with one's mate is something I find rather fascinating," the Dark Lord said, with only curiosity showing in his eyes.

Lucius nodded, looking down at James. "Forgive me, my Lord. I did not mean to come across as disrespectful," he said, expecting no response from the man sitting across from him. "My father said that my bond is progressing rather slowly. We have been together a number of weeks, and when I am absent James for too long, there are times when I think I'm going to be ill, but there have been no more severe consequences than that," he said.

"And is this abnormal pace something to be concerned about?" the Dark Lord asked curiously.

"My father suspects that it may have something to do with the fact that James is from a Light family, and as Wood Elves are Dark creatures, I must give the bond time to allow James' Light side to adjust to being so connected with a Dark creature. It does cause me quite a bit of concern, though, since my father has informed me that, at this point in the bond, he was unable to be in a separate room from my mother without feeling incredibly nauseous," Lucius said.

The Dark Lord opened his mouth to speak again, but the door to the sitting room opened and Abraxas walked into the room.

"Forgive me, my Lord," the elder Malfoy said with a bow. "But the wards have just been violated. I fear that the Aurors may be trying to conduct a midnight search again." He looked over at Lucius. "Take James to your bedroom and lock the door as best you can. I will take no chances with the safety of either of you," he said.

Lucius nodded and stood, carrying James as best he could. He looked over at the Dark Lord and bowed slightly. "Please excuse me, my Lord," he said before walking out of the room.


	19. We dare not waste a single drop

**019. We dare not waste a single drop**

Word Count: 1,368

* * *

James woke up when he heard someone speaking quietly on the bed next to his and quietly peaked out from underneath his pillow. Remus looked over at him, immediately falling silent.

"What's going on?" he asked, getting out of bed and carefully approaching Remus' four poster bed.

"Sirius decided that it would be amusing to play a prank on Severus that ended up with me accidentally mauling him," Remus growled.

Noticing a feral glint still existent in Remus' eyes, James held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Let me help," he said. "What do you need me to do?"

Remus offered him a weak smile, and James saw right away that he was clearly exhausted from his night with the full moon. "Would you go down to Professor Slughorn's storeroom and get three Numbing Potions, and then go to Severus' bedroom and get the potions under his bed, but be careful."

"Right, right," James said as he pulled out his Invisibility Cloak and the Marauder's Map from it's hidden spot under his bed.

Remus watched as he covered himself with the cloak. "And as much as I would hate to distract you from greeting Lucius, I would much rather you just get the potions and return here as fast as you can," he said.

James paused, uncovering his head and looking back at the werewolf. "I'll need help getting into the storeroom, so I'll be bringing Lucius back to the Tower with me," he said.

"Fine," Remus snapped. "Just get the potions and get your arse back here."

James disappeared out of the Gryffindor Tower and all but ran down to the Slytherin rooms in the dungeons, not too surprised to find that there was no one awake, save Filch, but he and his cat were still up by the Ravenclaw Nest.

When he reached the tapestry of Xavier Thatcher and removed part of his Invisibility Cloak, the Potions Master arched a speculative eyebrow at him. "This in an interesting occurrence, little lion. It is rare to see you on your own, never mind seeking out the entrance to the room of the snakes," he said with a smirk. "What is it that you request?" he asked.

He hesitated only a moment before speaking. "Remus said that Severus is in trouble, and it looks like it's really serious, so he sent me down here to get some potions from under Severus' bed in his dorm room."

"Severus? Would he be the young man intent on becoming a Potions Master?" Xavier asked, standing up from his chair.

James nodded. "Is the password still the same as before the winter holidays?" he asked.

Xavier merely smirked.

"Ophidian, then," James said quietly.

"Do hurry to help the young Potions Master, little lion," Xavier said as the tapestry swung aside to allow James entrance. "He has shown me great promise."

He pulled the Cloak back over himself and quickly made his way to the room that Severus shared with Lucius, thankful that he knew the way as well as he did. Once he arrived in the room, he was quite surprised to find Lucius awake, pouring over an old book.

The moment the door closed behind him, Lucius looked around before narrowing his eyes and smirking. "Take off the Cloak, James. We've been over this before."

James did so, heading immediately for his mate with a large grin on his face. "It's a bit late for you to be studying, isn't it?" he asked, crawling on the bed and sitting across from Lucius.

"It's also a bit early for you to be sneaking into Slytherin, but I will abstain from commenting on that," Lucius replied easily, setting his book down and kissing James. When he pulled back, he watched James curiously for a moment. "Though I am interested in your reasons for breaking into my House chambers," he said.

"Oh, right. I need to get the potions from under Severus' bed and then I need your help to break into Slughorn's stockroom to get three Numbing Potions," he said. "What were you reading?" he asked curiously as he made his way over to Severus' bed, the Invisibility Cloak lying abandoned on Lucius' bed.

"It is a book that my mother sent me last night. She informed me that it might offer more interest to our relationship," he said, almost purring. "Some of the information in this book are things that I have before heard of."

James immediately flushed red. "Don't tell me that your mother sent you a book like the Kama Sutra," he muttered as he pulled a black box from underneath Severus' bed. After opening it slightly to check that it indeed contained the potions, he turned back to face Lucius, who was putting the book in his trunk.

"My mother would not be so crude as to send me a book of sex positions, Potter," Lucius said as he locked his trunk and stood up. He brushed an invisible piece of lint off of his black lounge pants before facing his mate. "If anyone sent me that it, it would likely be from my father."

Ignoring the smirk he was being sent, James just grabbed the Cloak and made sure that the Marauder's Map was still in his pocket. "Are you going to help me get into Slughorn's stockroom or are you just going to stand there staring at my bare chest?" he asked with a smirk of his own. "It is rather crucial," he added.

Lucius merely smirked before draping the Invisibility Cloak over both him and James. "Lead the way, then, my love," he purred as James retrieved the map.

They made it to the stockroom, and after avoiding all of Lucius' questions about how James had come across the Marauder's Map, they managed to get a number of potions, including the three Numbing Potions that Remus had specifically requested. Once all the potions had been secured, the two quickly made their way up to the Gryffindor Tower - or James pulled Lucius, as the Slytherin still did not know where it was or what the password was.

Remus was waiting anxiously, pacing in the room by the time that James and Lucius arrived with the potions. James noticed only vaguely that the werewolf had chased Peter and Sirius out of the room, and Severus was coming to, groaning slightly.

"What the bloody hell took you so long?" he snarled angrily as James set the Cloak aside and started to unpack the potions from his and Lucius' pockets.

"What's going on?" Lucius asked as James shoved him back onto the bed and handed Remus the potions he had originally requested. "What happened to Severus?" he asked.

James ignored him as he followed Remus' instructions in administering the potions.

"Take care not to spill anything," Remus said. "We dare not waste a drop." He looked over at Lucius. "You are going to take a Wizard's Oath of Secrecy before I even think about telling you anything about what happened," he said, snarling.

Lucius hesitated for a moment, glancing at James, who nodded to him and grimaced when Severus opened his eyes and flinched away from James. "Fine," he said. "I solemnly swear to reveal nothing that is said in this room tonight unless Remus Lupin permits that I do so," he said, holding up his right hand and not breaking eye contact with a particularly feral-looking Remus Lupin.

Remus hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Once I am sure that Severus is no longer in danger of dying, I will answer the questions that you have," he said, settling down a bit.


	20. I thought he was going to shoot me

**020. I thought he was going to shoot me**

Word Count: 1,147

* * *

Once all of Lucius' questions had been answered and Remus had made sure that Severus was going to be fine, James pulled Lucius into his bed and closed the tapestries, locking the curtains shut and setting up Silencing Charms.

"That was rather unexpected," Lucius murmured quietly as James curled up against him. "Although it might explain why you seemed more wary of Lupin during the days apporaching the full moon."

"Yes, as fascinating as that is, I would much rather prefer to go back to sleep for the next few hours," James muttered as he snuck his hands under Lucius' shirt and wrapped his arms around the Elf's waist.

The moment he drifted off to sleep, he found himself pulled into the state that was too real to be a dream and felt a sinking feeling in his stomach.

_"Poppa! Uncle Severus said that the squib called Walt Disney made another Muggle movie and he brought it over so that we can watch it!" Harry said as he ran up to James. "And he said you're in it! Come watch it with me!" He was grinning mischieviously, but James seemed to ignore this as he followed the seven year old back into the living room, where a Muggle television set had been set up and there was a movie cued up to a certain song._

_James eyed the set and watched as Harry allowed it to play, smirking when a man in a red shirt punched a small fat man that was singing. He sat down next to Harry and watched the movie, not sure what he ought to expect._

_Harry was all but bouncing in his seat as the song started to wind down._

_Severus walked into the room and smirked when he noticed what the two were watching._

_"I use antlers in all of my decorating!"_

_Without any warning, James shrieked and stood up, backing away from the television set. His jaw dropped as Harry looked over at him, his grin far too much like Severus' for James to feel comfortable._

_Said Potions Master was standing only a few steps behind Harry, smirking. "Disney is quite talented, for a squib, don't you think? This Gaston character is perhaps his best creation," he said._

_At that statement, Harry burst out in laughter, but shrieked when his father bent down to be eye level with him. Before James could say anything, he bolted away and James was quick to follow, a grin on his face._

The tell-tale thunder sounded and James found himself staring at himself in a mirror, a guarded expression on his face.

_Lucius walked into the room, not saying anything when he noticed James staring oddly in the mirror. He paused for a moment before speaking to his mate. "Is something wrong, my love?" he asked, carefully wrapping his arms around James' waist and pulling him back up against him._

_"I took Harry down to Diagon Alley this afternoon," he said quietly._

_"To get him an owl?" Lucius asked just ask quietly, resting his chin on James' shoulder and kissing his neck._

_James nodded, meeting his mate's eyes in the mirror. "Among other things," he said. "I was also going to take him into Knockturn, because he wanted to see if Severus had set up his Apothecary yet," he added._

_"Did something happen while you were out?" Lucius asked, nuzzling James' ear._

_"I ran into Arthur Weasely and his wife, Molly, just before we made it into Knockturn Alley," James said._

_Lucius hummed curiously before moving to meet James' gaze in the mirror again. "The two who were married in their third year after giving birth to a kid?"_

_James nodded. "She's only in her fifth year and she's already pregnant with her third child," he said with a smirk. "Anyway, they noticed Harry's eyes and immediately decided that he was going to be evil."_

_"Ah," Lucius said, glancing over at a photo of Harry and smiling slightly. Their son had an odd predicament with his eyes - one was the silver color that was only found in the Malfoy family, but the other eye was an emerald green that Lucius' mother had said was usually found only in Elven nobility. "And what happened?"_

_"Arthur decided that, if Harry was going to be evil, the world might be better off without him, so he pulled out his wand and aimed it at our son," James said, ignoring the way that Lucius tightened his hold on James' waist. "Severus, like the creepy bugger that he is, showed up at just the right time and took Harry into Fortescue's before anything could happen to him. So Arthur turned his wand on me." He turned around and buried his face against Lucius' neck, taking in the familiar scent of honeysuckle and rain. "He had a crazed look in his eyes and for a moment I thought he was going to shoot me with a Dark curse, but Molly for some reason decided that she might take pity on me. She just came up to me and touched my arm. She said that there was still time for me to save myself and my son, but after that, Arthur pretty much just dragged her off."_

Lucius growled angrily and opened his mouth to speak, but James felt someone shaking him on the shoulder.

He opened his eyes and found Lucius looking worriedly down at him.

"Are you alright, James?" he asked quietly.

James nodded and found that he had nestled himself as close to Lucius as physically possible, hiding his face in Lucius' neck. "What happened?" he asked, inching back to look at Lucius.

"Apart from plastering yourself up against me, you managed to bite my neck enough to draw blood, and I was having a particularly pleasant dream," he said with a docile smirk. "Now, I would greatly appreciate it if you might be willing to refrain from biting me while I'm doing my best to sleep while sequestered away in the Gryffindor Tower," he said.

James merely returned the smirk with a smile feigning innocence before settling himself against Lucius once more, quickly falling back to sleep.


	21. She kicked the ball

**021. She kicked the ball**

Word Count: 1,376

* * *

"James, hurry the bloody hell up!" Sirius said, dragging a half-asleep James out to the Quidditch pitch. "We're going to be late again, and I don't want it to be because you couldn't wake up fast enough!" he said.

"The game doesn't start for another two bloody hours, Siri," James muttered. "I could have had the chance to eat breakfast and everything," he said with a tired growl at his friend.

"Yeah, but Peter said there was a hot piece of ass waiting to talk to you before you started to get ready for the game today," Sirius replied. He pulled James out to the field and opened his mouth to say something else when they noticed someone sitting in the stands already, wearing a cloak to hide their identity.

James seemed to anticipate this and turned to Sirius first. "If you go ask Remy nicely, you might get in a morning romp," he said with a grin.

Sirius' face lit up at that and he turned back to the castle, running back to the Gryffindor Tower as fast as he could.

Once he was sure that Sirius wasn't going to double back and try to see what was going to happen with James and this mystery person, James let out a sigh and headed out to the field. He waited on the field in front of the stands, refusing to fully cooperate with this person, whomever they may be.

A few minutes later, the cloaked person stood in front of him and slowly removed the hood to reveal Lily Evans. "Good morning, James," she said with a coy smile. "I trust you slept well?"

James bared his teeth at her, saying nothing. He was just fortunate that Lucius had more highly attuned hearing than he did, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to cast a quick Invisibility Charm on himself and wake James up a bit before Sirius had wrenched the curtains surrounding his bed open and dragged him out to the Quidditch pitch. "How I sleep is no concern of yours," he bit out after a moment. "What is your intent on bringing me down here at such an unholy hour in the morning?" he asked perhaps a bit too harshly.

Lily flinched, but the smile never completely left her face. "I wanted to let you know that Headmaster Dumbledore informed me that I am one of the most powerful Muggleborn witches that he's ever had the pleasure of teaching," she said.

"And how the bloody hell is this supposed to concern me?" James asked, doing his best to ignore the urge to reach out and slap the young woman. "I have made it clear in the past that I do not particularly care about anything that happens in your life."

"He said that I would make it farther in life, and in a career in the Ministry of Magic, if I established lasting alliances now," she said. With an absent-minded wave of her wand, she Transfigured a rock into a Muggle soccer ball and nudged it with her toe, not looking back up at James. "I've already spoken with Peter, and he's agreed that he'd be willing to vouch for me in the future."

"Pete's from a poor family, despite the fact that he's a Pureblood. His support isn't significantly beneficial to anyone with hopes of going too far in the Ministry," James said quietly, focusing on that aspect. He could give advice - after all, he and Sirius had had a discussion about the Ministry a number of times, and despite the fact that neither of them were very interested in politics, they knew enough to get by in serious conversations. Aside from that, Sirius had once drunkenly admitted that he might enjoy proving his family wrong about himself by becoming the Minister of Magic. "You'd be better off working on your own, but given that you're a stuck-up, know-it-all Mudblood, that will likely do you no good either," he said.

Lily flushed red and looked away from James. She kicked the ball lightly, watching as it rolled away from them a bit. She was silent for a long moment before she turned back to face James.

James, for his part, watched her behavior with a barely contained growl. It was far too early to have to deal with her inane behavior. He knew what the redhead wanted to ask of him, but she would never be so brazen as to merely ask the question and let him answer it and then leave him alone. When she opened her mouth to speak and then closed it, looking away from him, he let out a quiet groan. "Evans, it's early. I'm tired and I'm hungry," he snapped. "You might as well continue on with this conversation and do it quickly before I decide to be rude and walk away from you."

"I do apologize for inconveniencing you, James," Lily said, a shy smile on her face as she looked up at James again. "While I have already secured Peter's support, Headmaster Dumbledore informed me that getting the support of more well-known, up-standing families would help me more in the long run."

"You're taking too long, Evans," James said warningly.

"Of course, I apologize," she said, nodding. "James, I was wondering if, when I apply for a position in the Ministry of Magic, you might be willing to vouch for my qualifications. I was also hoping that you would persuade Sirius Black to support me as well."

James eyed her warily. "You thought that having me dragged out to the Quidditch pitch this early in the morning without giving me any prior knowledge about what you wished to discuss would be the best way to handle this?" he asked scathingly, arching an eyebrow and glaring at her. He straightened himself, ignoring the fact that he had not been given the chance to put on a shirt before Sirius dragged him out to the pitch and the fact that Lily was currently staring at his bare chest with a light blush on her face.

"Does that mean that you're going to vouch for me when it comes to me working at the Ministry?" she asked quietly.

"You're very arrogant for a Mudblood, Evans," James growled. He leaned down a bit so that he was eye level with Lily and smirked. "Let me give you a bit of advice."

Her face lit up and she smiled, waiting anxiously for him to continue.

"The next time you wish to obtain anything from me, remember that you would likely be more successful in drawing blood from a rock," he said coldly. "And follow the proper protocol when it comes to requesting support from someone."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean, if you care to obtain Sirius' support, buck up your stores of Gryffindor courage and ask him yourself. I'm not your bloody messenger boy," he said coolly before standing and stalking back to the castle, leaving Lily standing shocked on the Quidditch pitch, her mouth open in shock.

Back in his dorm room, Lucius had slipped out, likely when Sirius had returned to see what Remus might be willing to do with him. He did, however, leave a note for James under his pillow.

'I much prefer the Slytherin mattresses, James, and I wish to express a challenge to you. The password to Slytherin will change tomorrow morning at dawn. If you manage to sneak back into my rooms tonight, I would be more than happy to share with you what it will be. Yours, Lucius.'

Feeling incredibly happier than he had when Sirius woke him up, James quickly changed and made his way down to the kitchens to get breakfast before he Quidditch game against Hufflepuff later that morning.


	22. He looked so fair

**022. He looked so fair**

Word Count: 932

* * *

It was not James' fault that he had missed the Bludger and allowed the Ravenclaws to take the lead in the Quidditch game that day. It was very much Lucius' fault.

The Slytherin had apparently decided not to attend the game, in favor to heading down to a shore of the lake that was rarely invaded by other students. He had pulled off his school robe and his shirt to lay on the shore and bathe in the sun. He looked so fair, even from such a distance, that it was almost impossible for James to even try to focus on something else.

James had been watching less and less of the game when he noticed Lucius' activity, and apparently in the interval of that time, he almost got hit by a Bludger and two different Ravenclaw players.

Only when he swore he felt that Lucius was watching him did his attention to the Quidditch match fly completely out the window, so to speak. It was also within that moment that a Bludger hit his broom and sent him spiraling to the ground.

The next thing he knew, he woke up in a hospital bed in the Infirmary. Madame Pomfrey walked up to his bed and silently offered him a potion.

"Am I hurt too bad?" he croaked before downing the potion.

"Nothing we can't fix, but you won't be enjoying Quidditch any time in the near future."

"What? Why?" He handed the empty potion vial back to Madame Pomfrey.

She smiled grimly. "Your broom shattered -"

"I'll get a new one," James interrupted her. If the broken broom was all that she thought was going to keep him from playing Quidditch, he could change her mind in a heartbeat.

"Mister Potter, please let me finish."

James nodded reluctantly.

"One of the splinters of your broom landed in your spine and that potion will flush it out, but I will not have you risking your life for the sake of a sport such as Quidditch."

The news sank in and James groaned. "Bloody hell this sucks," he said.

"Go to sleep Mister Potter. You will need your rest," she said before leaving him alone again.

James woke up later that night and looked around the room, struck with the unsettling feeling that he was no longer alone in the room. "Hello?" he asked quietly, not sure who he ought to be expecting.

Lucius appeared at the side of the bed where James was not looking and he smirked. Without making a sound, he leaned down and bit James on the neck.

James yelped and looked over at him, eyes wide with shock and surprise. "What the fuckin' hell is wrong wit' you?" James asked breathlessly. "Sneakin' up on 'n honest Gryffindor like that, coulda killed me."

Lucius stayed silent for a moment before speaking. "I thought the Bludger had taken care of that."

"Right." James shifted over on the bed, allowing Lucius to sit on the bed next to him, an invitation which the Elf took no time in accepting. As Lucius threaded his hands through James' hair, James struggled for a moment to focus on what he had planned on saying. "It was your fault this happened."

"Oh?"

"Had you not decided to deviate from watching the Quidditch game and had I not seen you sunbathing on the lake shore, I would have been able to focus entirely on the game," James said, crossing his arms as much as he could. Unfortunately, the irritated look that he was aiming for was greatly watered down by the soft purring he was letting out as Lucius continued toying with his hair.

A long, comfortable silence elapsed between Gryffindor and Slytherin before the sound of Madame Pomfrey shifting in her office, likely for more potions, took them both by surprise.

Lucius stood silently, pressing a chaste kiss to James' forehead. "When you are out of the hospital wing and healthy again, remind me to apologize for this little mishap of yours."

James frowned. "This isn't my fault," he said, while refusing to acknowledge that it, indeed, was almost entirely his fault.

Lucius smirked but said nothing more as he all but disappeared from sight.

Madame Pomfrey walked out of her office, looking as prim as she did when it was not one fifteen in the morning, and seemed to approve when she noticed that James was awake. "Good," she said. "Drink this potion and then try to go back to sleep."

"Try?"

"This repairs any damage done by the potion that removed the splinters from your body. Depending on how much damage there is to be repaired, the process can be slightly painful."

"Oh goody," James said dryly before downing the potion, grimacing at the sour taste.

She smiled a bit at his statement. "Relax, Mister Potter. If all goes well, you will be able to leave in time for dinner tomorrow evening," she said.

He handed her the empty potion vial and shifted a bit in bed. "Thanks," he groused before trying in earnest to fall back asleep.


	23. I was going to have to get used to

**023. I was going to have to get used to calling her my wife**

Word Count: 818

* * *

James walked back into the library, looking almost entirely confused as he was when he had first been called to the Headmaster's office as he sat in the chair across from Lucius.

"Something wrong?" Lucius asked without missing a beat, turning a page in his book.

James shrugged and pulled a scroll of parchment out of his bag. He looked up at Lucius. "Can I borrow a quill?" he asked quietly. When Lucius handed him the spare quill he carried with him, James answered his question. "I just met with Dumbledore, and he wants to recruit me into the Aurors already, even though it's not even halfway through my final year here."

"One would hope it's your final year, at least," Lucius said as he glanced up at James and smirked discreetly. "But with you Gryffindors, one can never be sure," he said.

"Keep it up and I won't tell you what's really got me confused," James retorted with a wink at his mate. "I told the Headmaster that I was going to try to keep my focus on finishing here at Hogwarts."

"So?"

"He told me that I should enlist Lily Evans' help should I need it," he said. "Which isn't that odd, I suppose. After all, she is one of the top students here at Hogwarts, apart from you and many of the Ravenclaws."

"Making her pretty much nothing," Lucius said, his smirk clearly visible now.

James frowned and looked down at his parchment. "When I told him that I wasn't used to the way Lily 'helped' her fellow students, Dumbledore just said I ought to get used to it. He said that when the time came, I was going to have to get used to calling her my wife," he said, looking up at Lucius as he finished his statement.

At this Lucius had to visibly bite back a growl. His eyes hardened and he stood suddenly, walking back to one of the frequently unused sections of the library.

James followed him a moment later, and halfway expected that he would be shoved against the shelves and delivered a stern lecture. Instead, he met with stormy silver eyes that were swirling with anger and a possessiveness he had never seen before.

"You will never call her your wife," Lucius all but growled and James' eyes widened.

"Is this the Elf kicking in or do you have some genuine feelings of concern when it comes to my sanity?" he asked, in an attempt to at least somewhat distract Lucius before he flew into a possessive rage and hunted down Lily to reap his vengeance upon her.

It worked, because while the jealous shine remained in Lucius' eyes, the man seemed to calm himself a bit and James sighed quietly.

"I have no plans, nor have I ever had plans, to call Miss Evans by any other name than Miss Evans. Apart from the fact that she would have driven me insane if I was even just dating her - which I'm not," James added when Lucius bared his teeth threateningly. "I don't find her nearly as interesting or as appealing as I find you," he said.

This statement almost completely placated Lucius and the Slytherin pulled James into his arms. "I'll disregard the blatant flattery and interpret that statement as an admittance of admiration, not the attempt to distract me that it was."

James nestled into Lucius, a smug grin on his face. "It worked, didn't it?" he asked slyly, closing his eyes and enjoying the feel of Lucius wrapping him in a tighter embrace.

"It may have worked this time," Lucius said quietly as he set his chin on top of James' head. "But there are no guarantees that something like that will work again."

They reluctantly parted when they heard the noise belonging to the first year students coming into the library and Madame Pince's sharp whispering for them to stay quiet.

"Maybe I ought to go do my homework elsewhere."

"What homework?" Lucius asked quietly as he fought with himself to keep his hands off James for the moment.

"It's a Potions essay." James paused a moment, grinning a bit as he came up with a plan of action. "Why don't we retire to your dorm room, where I can get help from Severus, if he's willing to give it?" he asked.

Lucius laughed softly at James' logic but motioned for James to go get his things.


	24. The young will never be wise

**024. The young will never be wise**

Word Count: 862

* * *

"James, you must think about your future," Dumbledore said as he looked at the sullen teenager sitting in the chair opposite the Headmaster. "Lily is a gorgeous young woman and you could create quite a few powerful heirs with her."

"She's a Mudblood," James muttered. He was not going to cooperate - he was tired and irritable and for some reason he was yearning for something raw. Maybe lamb, he told himself. "And if I were interested in her, I would have let her know by now."

"There is something different about you, James," Albus said, the infernal eye twinkling raging. He cast a magical scan on James without any warning and frowned. "Oh, my boy, this is not good."

"What?" James snapped. He wanted out of the office, but he wouldn't be able to leave unless the Headmaster granted him permission to do so.

"My boy," Albus started to say before he had to gather himself. "It appears that you are currently carrying a child."

"So?" James asked brusquely. Then it sank in - he was carrying Lucius' child. The moment he thought that, he blocked it out and buried it deep within his mind. Albus Dumbledore could not know who the other father of his child is.

"Who is the other father of your child, James?"

He was met with a stony silence.

"James, this is no time for a resurgence of teenage stubbornness. I must know who your child's other father is."

"... I don't know," James said.

Dumbledore looked at him over the crescent moon glasses he wore, a stunned look on his face. "Excuse me?" he asked, as though he had not heard what James had just told him.

"I said I don't know," James snapped.

"It appears that the young will never be wise," Albus said, a disappointed look in his eyes. "Since you apparently do not know who fathered a child with you, I am afraid that the pregnancy must be terminated."

This time it was James' turn to look shocked. "I beg your pardon, Headmaster?" he asked.

"I believe you heard me, my boy. Since you chose to act irresponsibly and do not know who the other father of your child is, I cannot allow you to continue carrying this child," Albus stated.

"You have no right to choose whether or not I have a child."

Albus crossed his arms, a stern, semi-paternal look crossing his face as he decided how to word what he was next going to say. "My dear Mister Potter, I have a great deal of control in your life that extends to your pregnancy. You may choose now - abort the child and continue your education here at Hogwarts, or leave the school to raise the child on your own."

James was silent for a moment, shocked at what the Headmaster he trusted was having him choose between. As the weight of the decision sank in, James crossed his arms and looked away from the Headmaster, staring intently at the ground. "I'll stay here and finish at Hogwarts," he muttered, ignoring the way his heart sank as he realized that he had just denied his own child the right to life.

It wasn't so much the fact that he was male and pregnant - such a thing was not unheard of, but it was also not the most common thing to hear of. Rather, it was the fact that he had never really been sure he had wanted a child. Now that he had discovered he was, in fact, with child, he found himself not wanting to give the child up. Regardless of that fact, he had no choice and he knew it.

"Perhaps not all young are unwise," Albus said before chanting the statements necessary to perform a safe abortion on a male.

James found himself choking out a quiet sob when the sudden emptiness in him struck a chord within himself.

"You are still able to father children, my boy," Albus said comfortingly. "Just remember, before you put yourself through another predicament such as this, you have the option to start a family with Lily Evans. You may leave."

James nodded and stumbled numbly out of the Headmaster's office, not looking at or speaking with anyone until he got to the dorm room he shared with his friends.

Thankfully, Remus was there alone, likely in the middle of reading a book he'd found interesting from the library. He looked up at James, clearly shocked when he smelled the tang of tears.

James didn't allow Remus the time to ask any questions. He merely walked over to the other boy and collapsed into the sudden embrace, allowing the tears for his lost child to finally escape.


	25. Here, have this

**025. Here, have this**

Word Count: 871

* * *

James waited until late at night, when most everyone was asleep, before he snuck out of the Gryffindor Tower under the Invisibility Cloak and headed down to the dungeon where Lucius had arranged their first intimate interaction and waited until he saw the tell-tale silver hair shimmer a bit under the black cloak in the corner of the room.

He walked over and was not too surprised to feel Lucius' arms wrap around James' waist and pull him close.

"Why did you feel the need to wake me so late and have me meet you here?" James asked.

"I simply wished to see if you would care to join me in bed for the evening," Lucius replied.

James frowned. "Why didn't you ask me at a better time of the day? Like when we have class together?" he asked with a loud yawn.

"It might have looked suspicious if, in the middle of Potions or History of Magic, I leaned over and kissed you before asking whether or not you would care to join me in my bed for the night. I thought you didn't exactly want that parasite Black to know the finer points of our relationship together, so I thought it best to err on the side of discretion," Lucius commented as he picked James up.

James wrapped his legs around Lucius' waist and his arms over the other's shoulders, resting his head on Lucius' shoulder. "Next time you decide to follow the impulses of your twisted as fuck sense of humor, send a quieter house elf."

In his room, Lucius seemed to be the most relaxed - which was odd, until James noticed that the other bed in the room was, while clearly lived in, not occupied. "Where's your dorm-mate?"

"Severus? He works on his developmental potion at night so that Slughorn doesn't get his hands on it and try to take the credit for it once he gets it right." Lucius lay back on his bed and stared up at James with eyes only half-open.

After a moment, James sat on Lucius' stomach and grinned. "I almost forgot. I want to give you something," he said.

"Oh?"

James unfastened the small silver chain he constantly wore around his neck and let the ring held on it slide off and hit Lucius' bare chest. "My father sent this to me just after I got back from the winter holidays with you. He said that he wanted me to carry this with me wherever I go from now on should I choose to whom I wish to one day marry."

Lucius picked the ring up and saw the Potter crest on the top of the platinum band, and in the middle of the crest was James' birthstone. "This is your intended ring, is it not?"

"It is."

"Why are you showing this to me and telling me the story behind when you originally received it?" Lucius asked, clearly knowing where the discussion was going but wanting James to spell it out for him.

James shrugged. "I want to give it to you, but I thought just handing it to you in the hallway and saying 'here, have this' would have been a bit too informal. It seemed like something I should do in private."

"Why?"

"If you did not accept the ring and gave it back to me, I figured it might be a little bit less humiliating for me if you were the only other person around. I don't want people staring at me and whispering when I end up making an ass out of myself."

Lucius smirked. "I would think that, for as many times as you have already made an ass out of yourself, you'd have gotten used to it by now," he commented.

James, in a moment of pure juvenile behavior, stuck his tongue out at Lucius. "Not when it comes to the important shit," he said, grinning when Lucius allowed him to slide the ring onto the Slytherin's left middle finger. "And since we're keeping this a secret, try not to let other people see this ring."

"You do realize that the purpose of an intended ring is for a Pureblood to mark his claim on their intended for the world to see, don't you?" Lucius asked sarcastically. Trust a Gryffindor to request that he make something stay hidden when its sole purpose in the world was to be seen clearly.

"Of course I realize that, but I still want this thing between us to be kept on the down-low until I think it's safe to do otherwise," James retorted, crossing his arms and daring Lucius to argue with him. The Slytherin merely smirked down at James, remaining infuriatingly silent, and it was only then that James decided to occupy Lucius' mouth with something other than holding the ever-present smirk.


	26. Waiting at the airport

**026. Waiting at the airport**

Word Count: 1,347

* * *

Lily walked out to the courtyard where James had made himself comfortable playing with one of the resident cats. "James, why are you out here all alone?" she asked.

James bristled at the comment but said nothing for a long moment. Hopefully she might, for once, take the hint and leave him in peace.

She did not. "James, I asked why you were out here all alone," she said. "Did you not hear me?" she asked, taking a seat next to James on the bench and ignoring the way the cat hissed at her before running away.

"Oh, why did you have to go and do that, Evans? You just scared off the only thing that I could have had a decent conversation with," James muttered off-handedly, watching as the cat disappeared into the shadows at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

"Why must you be so rude to me, James? I only have your best interests at heart," Lily said condescendingly, reaching out to pat James on the shoulder.

James quickly ducked out of her reach and glared at her, saying nothing.

Lily frowned but recovered quickly. She smiled at James, the look in her eyes reminding him vaguely of the mad twinkling found frequently in Albus Dumbledore's eyes. "I was absent from the school for the weekend, did you notice?" she asked.

"I knew there was a reason for the peace and silence found in the Gryffindor common rooms," James said coolly, glaring over at the red-head. "I have made it clear to you in the past that I am not, nor will I ever try to be, your friend. Why do you insist upon trying to force me to be interested in your personal life?" he asked.

"Because Headmaster Dumbledore has informed me otherwise."

"Headmaster Dumbledore is very much aware of my lack of interest in you, as I have informed him of such on a number of occasions," James said, keeping his voice quiet so as not to attract attention from any of the other students who might be milling around nearby.

Lily watched him as he stood and pointedly took a seat on the bench across from her before following him and sitting next to him. "Headmaster Dumbledore is a widely respected man, and given that he was strong enough to defeat the Dark Lord Grindelwald and that he has remained a beacon for the Light in these current times of conflict with the Dark, I find it more prudent to trust in what he tells me rather than what you allege to have informed him," she said, finishing her monologue with a haughty tone. "So," she said. "Did you notice that I was gone for the weekend?" she asked.

"If I say yes, will you go away and refrain from pestering me any further?" James asked acidly, edging away from Lily as subtly as he could.

She ignored him and started speaking. "My sister, Petunia, has been writing back and forth with a man in Germany," she said. "Petunia likes him, and I think he likes her, but over the holidays I looked through the letters he sent her to make sure that she wasn't being led on," she started out. "His name is Jonas, and he was going to come in to spend winter with us so he can get to know our family better. So, the day before Christmas Eve, we were waiting at the airport for him to come in," she said. Stopping suddenly, she looked over at James. "Do you know what an airport is?" she asked.

"Do I care what an airport is?" James asked icily.

Lily frowned at him but continued telling her story. "Two days before Christmas Eve, Petunia and I were waiting at the airport for his flight to arrive, since our parents had agreed to stay back home unless we called about something," she said. "When he came up to Petunia, I thought she was going to faint. Jonas is incredibly handsome, you know, and I just adored his accent. He doesn't speak too much English, but he told us that he had learned just for Petunia."

"Is there a point to this?" James cut in, all the while wondering why he was listening to her story in the first place.

"He told me that he was from Bavaria, and he brought pictures with us," Lily said, shooting James a glare that had no effect on him. "You should see this place. It's unbelievably amazing."

James bit his tongue, forcibly stopping himself from mentioning that the Potters had a villa in Bavaria. "Are you done with whatever you were saying?" he asked coolly.

"Just think about it. Headmaster Dumbledore has informed me that, while you may come across as harsh toward me, it's because you're afraid of being ridiculed by the other Purebloods in the school, and that you really feel genuinely attracted toward me," Lily said.

"The Headmaster has misinformed you, Evans," James said, standing up. "What is there to think about?"

Lily leaned back, crossing her arms and smiling brightly. "When you come to your senses and finally admit that you truly feel something for me, we can find a nice villa up in the Bavarian Alps and spend our spring holidays there together."

James frowned slightly, saying nothing.

"Jimmy! Jimmy!" Sirius yelled as he ran outside, looking frantic.

James took that chance to make a break for it and intercepted Sirius just as the young man ran out of the castle, trying to breathe while he laughed hysterically. "What the ruddy hell did you do?" he asked, starting to laugh as well as Sirius just grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the castle.

Once they reached the lake, Sirius apparently deemed it safe enough to stop and he knelt down, trying to catch his breath.

"What ruddy hell did you do?" James asked, still giggling himself.

No answer was necessary as, a few minutes later, Remus ran up to the two of them. It took James a moment to recognize him, though, as Remus was currently inhabiting the form of a Yorkshire Terrier yapping angrily at the two of them with murder in his eyes. This, of course, sent Sirius and James into fits of laughter.

When James and Sirius calmed down enough to breathe properly, Sirius reached over and picked up the Yorkshire Terrier that was Remus. The terrier eyed him warily, but did nothing.

"What was this?" James asked, choking down another set of laughter.

"The Professor informed me that, despite my skill in transfiguring animals, I would never be able to successfully change a human," Sirius said with a mischievous grin. "Remus and Peter heard her saying this to me, and we put down a wager. Peter and Remus both owe me fifteen Galleons," he said, glancing down at the terrier.

"When are you planning on changing him back?" James asked, glancing over at the Yorkshire Terrier.

Sirius looked almost confused at that question.

James paused for a moment, biting the inside of his cheek to stop from laughing out loud. "You do know how to change him back, don't you?" he asked.

"Of course I do," Sirius bit out, looking very much indignant at the accusation. He set Remus on the ground and slowly stood up, ignoring the look that he was getting from Remus at the moment. "I just think he looks incredibly adorable as a Yorkie," he said before taking off, Remus hot on his heels, growling and once again yapping loudly.


	27. I saw some money on the ground

**027. I saw some money on the ground**

Word Count: 1,304

* * *

Remus walked stiffly down to Hogsmeade with James' free arm draped around his shoulders, pointedly ignoring the fact that Sirius was on James' other side, practically begging for his attention. He had spent almost ten hours as a Yorkshire Terrier, and Sirius had all but abandoned him for almost four of those hours to the fifth year girls in Gryffindor, who had practically squealed about how 'darling' he was, and had proceeded to dress him up in a number of equally humiliating outfits. He had, as a point, refused to speak to either Sirius or Peter, who had suggested the outfits in the first place, since then. James had been forgiven only because he had managed to keep himself from laughing at Remus to his face. The two of them had become closer this year, given the events that had transpired between the two of them.

"Remy, please, talk to me," Sirius whined pathetically. "You can't still be mad at me!"

"James, please inform the prat that goes by the name of Sirius Black that I am, as a matter of fact, still mad at him and I have every right to feel that way," Remus said, looking straight ahead as he and James made their way over to the Hog's Head Tavern.

James looked over at Sirius, grinning. "Remy says you're a prat and that he's still irritated with you," he said.

"That's what he said the past three times!" Sirius said, glancing over at Remus from James' side. "Remy, please," he said. "Stop being mad at me."

Remus pointed to the gate that led to the Shrieking Shack. "I think I just saw some money on the ground over there," he said. "Perhaps the prat that goes by the name of Sirius Black should see if it's enough to treat the benevolently forgiving entity that goes by the name of Remus Lupin to a number of drinks at the Hog's Head this afternoon," he said monotonously.

Hesitating a moment, Sirius looked over at James, who shrugged.

"At least he's speaking directly to you this time," he said.

Seeming to take this as good enough advice, Sirius bounded over to where Remus had gestured while Remus and James walked into the Hog's Head and made their way to one of the booths against the wall.

"How long are you going to keep up this charade?" James asked once he'd taken a seat across from Remus.

Remus grinned. "As long as Sirius thinks I'm mad at him and is willing to do just about anything to get back into my good graces," he said. "You're lucky I don't trust our Headmaster around you at the moment, otherwise I'd have you doing the same thing that Sirius is trying so hard to succeed at," he added, casting a brief Privacy charm to insure against anyone who might attempt to eavesdrop.

James immediately fell silent.

"I'm not ignorant enough to ask if you're doing alright from what he did to you," Remus started. "But are you on your way to being all right?" he asked.

"I'm fine," James said quietly.

"You've been having nightmares, and when you're nervous, you've started putting at least one of your hands on your stomach," Remus said firmly. "It's not enough to be outwardly noticeable, but I have been keeping a close eye on you ever since your first wondrous encounter with Lucius Malfoy," he said. "I want an honest answer. How are you doing?" he asked.

"About as well as can be expected, I suppose," James muttered, looking down at his hands. "It would be nice if I knew what Lucius would say, or think, about what happened," he said after a moment.

"You have yet to tell him?"

"I don't want him to do something stupid when it's something that I should have thought to prepare for in the first place."

Remus sighed. "You're being an idiot, you know," he said as he pulled James into a tight embrace. "He would be well within his bounds to kill the Headmaster, whether he knew you were with child or not. The man pointed his wand at you and killed your child. Even if he were not your mate, such an act is often punishable by significant time in Azkaban, when it is reported."

"I'm not going to report this."

"I had not expected you to do so, James. It is a delicate situation no matter the specific circumstances, and the Headmaster was well aware of that fact when he took advantage of you," Remus said before glancing up. "Siri is coming inside. Should we forgive him now?" he asked with a grin.

James smiled, inwardly grateful for Remus, and sat up, though he didn't attempt to move out of Remus' arms. "I'll leave that up to you, Remy," he said as Remus dropped the privacy charms.

Sirius walked up to their booth and took a seat across from James and Remus, neither of whom made any attempt to move out of their position. "It wasn't money," he said, looking down at the table. "But I will treat you both to a few rounds. Hey, Remy, why are you holding Jim like that?" he asked, staring wide-eyed at the two sitting across from him.

Remus smirked. "I was very much considering trading you in for James, as he has yet to turn me into any annoyingly small, yappy creatures, and I informed him that I need to know how it felt to hold him before I made up my mind."

"I can see why you've been so attached," James said with a straight face. "Remy is quite comfortable."

Sirius' face fell and he looked almost lost for a moment. "Remy," he finally whined out, almost inaudibly. "Please don't be serious about this."

"That all depends on you, Siri," Remus said soothingly as he let go of James and the two of them sat up, separating themselves. "I have two questions for you, and your answers will depend on our future. Or the lack thereof," he said. "Are you prepared?" he asked.

Sirius nodded with a pleading expression on his face that had James and Remus biting the insides of their cheeks to stop from laughing out loud. "Ask me anything."

"First question," Remus said. "Are you sorry for turning me into the most ridiculous creature on the face of the planet?" he asked.

Sirius nodded fervently, his hair falling out of its ponytail and into his eyes.

"And will you ever do something that stupid again?" Remus asked.

"Not unless my life depends on it, and I will do everything in my power to ensure that my life does not depend on doing anything of the sort," Sirius said with a promise.

Remus nodded and looked over at Sirius. "You are forgiven, as long as your next prank occurs on Peter and not myself or James," he said, waiting for Sirius to nod. "And now, to cement this apology, you may go buy the three of us a round of Firewhiskey," he said.

Sirius let out a barking laugh and headed for the bar, practically bouncing.

James and Remus shared a quiet grin with each other, before James slid out and took a seat across from Remus.


	28. She taught me how to whistle

**028. She taught me how to whistle**

Word Count: 1,075

* * *

Dumbledore looked at James, who glared defiantly at him. "You really should reconsider your decision not to take Lily Evans to be your wife, Mister Potter," he said, his blue eyes twinkling almost menacingly.

James crossed his arms, remembering to strengthen his mental shields again. "She just wants to be able to say that she taught me how to whistle, sir."

"Ah, her mother's advice."

"You know what advice I am talking about, sir?" James asked curiously.

The Headmaster nodded sagely. "I believe it goes something like 'only true whores are those who can not ever be found whistling down the street because they are too ashamed of who they have become', though I may be wrong." He looked up at James again. "You are under the impression that, should the two of you wed, she would only be interested in trying to change who you feel you are?"

"It's not an impression, sir," James replied. "It's blatantly obvious in the way she acts around me and in the way she chooses to phrase whatever she says when we interact with each other. I have Potions homework to do, sir. May I go?"

"I suppose. I still believe that the two of you ought to try to act more amicable towards each other. You would make an excellent family together," Dumbledore said as James made his way to the door.

Quickly shaking off the feeling that he had been mentally violated in some way, James made his way out to the threshold of the Forbidden Forest, where Lucius was waiting for him.

It was rather entertaining to see the way the cloak completely covered Lucius as the Slytherin Prince waited for his Gryffindor mate to meet him. "You look like a Death Eater," James said with a laugh that was not returned, making him wonder what was wrong with the Slytherin. Usually such statements from him managed to elicit at least a smirk from the usually stoic Elf.

Lucius took James by the hand and led him down the path to Hogsmeade - it was a designated Hogsmeade weekend, after all - but led him past the entire village and into the forest near the Shrieking Shack. "There is something I need to discuss with you that I do not wish other students to hear about." He pulled the hood of his cloak off and James nodded.

"I'll keep it a secret as long as you wish I do so," he promised and Lucius smiled at the very informal Wizard's Oath that James had offered him.

"You really do trust me, don't you?" he mused quietly before settling against the trunk of a tree. "This is possibly very dangerous for you, so please stop me should you feel you know too much," he said quietly.

James merely sat next to him and stared at him expectantly, waiting to hear whatever it was that Lucius needed to get off his chest.

"I received a letter from my father on Thursday and in it he informed me that the Dark Lord thought it was time that I pledged to him my loyalty." He looked up at James. "My father wrote that the Dark Lord plans to give me the Dark Mark over the spring holidays."

For a moment James was silent, choosing his words carefully before he spoke aloud - the topic of the Dark Lord was very much taboo, and for James personally, it was a topic almost never discussed. It was a well-known fact that the Potter family was a Light family, and had been for centuries. "And what is your opinion on getting the Dark Mark?" he asked quietly, not sure what to say. Perhaps it was best that he allow Lucius to talk while he figured out the finer points of what it was that he wanted to ask.

"My opinion in the matter is irrelevant - I will either do as my father and the Dark Lord wish and receive the Mark, or I will be tortured and then disowned from my family," Lucius said, not looking anywhere but at the ground. "I have no choice."

James shrugged. "You could approach the Headmaster and see what sort of safety he could offer you," he suggested half-heartedly.

Lucius chuckled. "I'm glad you can maintain a sense of humor like that as a full-blown War approaches," he said.

"If you didn't want me to cheer you up with my charm, then why did you feel the need to tell me what you just told me?" James asked, shifting to nestle against Lucius as a particularly biting breeze ripped through the trees.

Before he spoke, Lucius pulled James into his lap and wrapped his cloak around the two of them. "I was hoping that perhaps you might join me in accepting the Dark Mark," he commented, hoping for the best but knowing what would likely end up being James' answer.

He was met with silence and for a fleeting moment he felt an uplifting of hope.

After a long pause, James sighed. "I don't know," he said and Lucius was surprised. He had expected a flat out rejection to his offer, but perhaps all the time James had spent around the Ravenclaws had done him some good - he seemed to actually be thinking about the possible outcomes rather than relying on his personal feelings alone. "You know as well as I do that the Potter family has fought on the side of the Light since before even Dumbledore was alive," James continued. "But I don't want to be without my mate," he said and Lucius smiled.

"You need not offer me an answer right now," he said. "You do, after all, have until the spring holidays comes closer."

James nodded and then burrowed against Lucius as another gust of winter wind bit through to the bone.

"Why don't we go for a drink?" Lucius asked as he stood and pulled James to his feet, heading back into the village of Hogsmeade.


	29. The radio blared

**029. The radio blared**

Word Count: 947

* * *

Hogsmeade was surprisingly busy, given the weather and the fact that there was a thunderstorm on the horizon, but James and Lucius managed to make their way to one of the least inhabited restaurants without getting noticed.

Once inside the Hog's Head Tavern, James sat across from Lucius at one of the back booths but he could not shake the feeling that he and Lucius were being watched. He looked around the room but saw no one watching him particularly closely.

Shortly after they had ordered hot drinks, Sirius and Remus bounced up to the table and Sirius shoved James further into the booth so he could sit next to him, leaving Remus to take next to Lucius.

"Jamie," Sirius asked, glancing over at the Slytherin. "Why are you sitting at a booth with Lucy here?"

"He invited me for drinks after we finished doing what you lost 500 Galleons on and this is the first time I was able to join him here for said drinks. You know, in the hopes that we wouldn't be interrupted in the course of consuming these beverages," James explained, ignoring the questioning look he got from Lucius at the new nickname.

"You're dating him now?" Sirius asked, the look of disbelief etched on his face making James laugh. "Jim, mate, you do remember that he's the Prince of Slytherin, making him the worst of them all, don't you?"

"Sirius," Remus admonished sharply, making Sirius blush a violent red and mutter an unintelligible apology to Lucius, who said nothing.

Lucius looked over at James. "When I offered to take you out this evening, I was unaware I expected to treat Lupin and the parasite to drinks as well."

Merely glaring at Lucius in response to the insult thrown at him, Sirius waved the waitress over to the booth and ordered a Firewhiskey for him and a Butterbeer for Remus.

The radio blared the latest song from the Blessed Apes, an Irish Wizarding band, as the three Gryffindors and the lone Slytherin sat at the booth together. The silence lasted only a few moments before Remus turned to Sirius with a smirk. "What ever happened to those 500 Galleons that you were going to pay Jamie after he slept with Lucius?" he asked.

Sirius glanced over at James, who shrugged in response. "I'll get it out of him sometime, when I need it for something," he said, draping an arm around Sirius' shoulders and grinning madly.

Lucius smirked. "Perhaps you are spending a bit too much time with me," he said.

Remus looked over at the Slytherin. "I would very much like to speak with you about that sometime," he said.

"Oh?" Lucius asked, arching a speculative eyebrow at the werewolf's statement. "Am I offending the constitutions of the Gryffindors by spending time with your Golden Boy?" he asked.

James grinned, knowing exactly what kind of reactions to expect from his friends, but he was able to hide it behind his glass of Firewhiskey.

Sirius was nodding vigorously, and opened his mouth to answer in the affirmative - that Lucius was indeed spending too much time with James, and to add an insult of some nature to his response - but a sharp elbow to the stomach from Remus stopped him.

"I merely wish to discuss with you your intentions when it comes to how much time you have accrued with our friend," Remus said, ever the diplomat. "As we are Gryffindors, we do not easily trust the Slytherins and until you have explained to me your motives behind your actions, I will not trust you and I will encourage James to spend less time with you until such a time comes when I do not think the reasons you provide to me are saturated in lies and half-truths."

"Well, wasn't that a mouthful?" James muttered around his Firewhiskey.

Lucius smirked at James' statement but remained silent.

An awkward silence enveloped the four of them, and it was only broken when Severus walked into the Tavern, making a bee-line for Remus.

The two of them spoke together in hushed tones before Remus nodded and stood up. "Excuse me for a moment, would you?" he asked. "And Siri, behave yourself," he said before following Severus out of the restaurant.

Sirius looked at James and then at Lucius, returning his gaze to James once he realized that the Slytherin Prince was leveling quite the vicious glare at him. "Well, doesn't this just increase the tension?" he asked.

James chuckled dryly but said nothing, as he did not particularly care for the patented Malfoy you're-going-to-die glare to be pointed in his direction.

Another long moment passed and Sirius, after realizing that Lucius was still glaring at him, apparently decided that enough was enough. He slapped a number of coins onto the table and stood up quickly. "I'll see you back in the Tower tonight, Jim-bo," he said before scurrying out of the Tavern.

"You do realize that if we are mates, as you say, and decide to stick to each other forever, you're going to have to get used to being around my friends, don't you?" James asked.

Lucius shrugged. "I have no problems with Lupin. The parasite, however, is another story," he said plainly.


	30. I pricked myself on a thistle

**030. I pricked myself on a thistle**

Word Count: 1,217

* * *

Lucius crept quietly out of the castle and made his way out to the Forbidden Forest, smirking to himself as he readied himself to change into his Animagus form. He had almost made it into the forest when a large deer bounded out of the forest and reared a bit at him. It looked at him for a moment, but Lucius said nothing as it slowly drew nearer to him. Finally, when the deer knocked its muzzle against one of Lucius' upheld hands, Lucius recognized the look in the eyes.

"James?" he asked in a voice very similar to a whisper.

The deer seemed to perk up a bit and reared up slightly, pressing his head more insistently Lucius' hand, finally getting Lucius to gently pet his muzzle.

"I was unaware that you were able to reach an Animagus form," Lucius mused quietly, rubbing the deer he knew to be James' neck.

A feral howl sounded in the distance a brief moment later and James reared, this time seeming more worried than anything. He lowered his head and tried to push Lucius back toward the castle with his antlers, but Lucius wasn't moving. Another howl sounded, this one slightly more domestic and James grew more frantic before jumping back into the forest and bounding out of sight.

Lucius stared after James for a moment, not sure what to do. Finally growling at his own foolish curiosity, he quickly transformed into his Animagus form and sprinted after James.

He found the deer drinking from a river while a large black dog was play-fighting with a werewolf that Lucius assumed was Lupin. After a brief pause, he snarled quietly, getting the attention of the deer.

James stared at him for a brief moment before bounding into the brush. Lucius was quick to follow, taking notice that neither the werewolf nor the black dog paid any attention to the fact that James, in his deer Animagus, had been chased out of the clearing by a large silver wolf.

For about an hour, James ran from Lucius, and at first the Slytherin was worried that his mate would not recognize him. He had, after all, never told James that he could successfully complete the Animagus transformation, but in truth, James had said nothing either. Finally, after an hour passed, Lucius made himself comfortable on a large, flat boulder and waited.

It only took about five minutes after Lucius had stopped chasing James before the deer hesitantly entered the clearing, his ears swinging back and forth to listen for any danger.

Lucius yipped happily and jumped off the boulder as James hesitantly approached him. It didn't take too long before the deer seemed to recognize him and James settled down almost immediately, though his ears never stopped listening for potential danger as he sat down in the grass next to where Lucius had decided to sit. Lucius approached James a moment later and draped himself halfway on top of the deer's body, resting his head on the deer's neck and barking quietly.

He hadn't known that he'd drifted off, but he was awakened rather rudely when James suddenly sprung up from his seat and looked around. Lucius sat up and shook, waking himself up and growling at James.

A moment later the black dog from earlier burst into the clearing, snarling at Lucius.

Before Lucius had the chance to react, James jumped in front of him and lowered his head, showing his antlers to the dog and preparing himself to charge. The dog howled quietly and turned slightly to bark in the direction that he'd just come from. James seemed to take the hint and bounded into the forest, clearly looking for something. Lucius suspected it was Lupin, but his focus had been redirected onto the black dog, which had once again started snarling at him.

Lucius bared his teeth and let out a low growl, holding his tail high and silently daring the dog to try anything.

The two of them just snarled at each other, neither moving, before the black dog stopped growling and lowered his tail a bit. He approached Lucius slowly, but Lucius continued to snarl at the newcomer, not knowing who the dog was or what he might do.

When the dog got close enough to start sniffing the ground around Lucius, the Slytherin leapt forward and locked his teeth onto the dog's shoulder. Feeling satisfied only when he broke the skin and the dog whined pitifully, his tail ducking between his back legs, Lucius backed up and bared his teeth at the dog again before watching the dog back up and then run out of the clearing.

James, still in his Animagus form, walked back into the clearing, this time with an unconscious Remus Lupin on his back. He approached Lucius hesitantly, his ears constantly swiveling back and forth. He leaned his head down as much as he could without jeopardizing Remus' position on his back and gently butted his muzzle against the side of Lucius' head before turning and walking carefully out of the forest, making sure that Remus didn't fall off of him.

When James arrived back in the Gryffindor Tower - ever grateful for the secret passage that led them straight into the Gryffindor Common Room - he settled Remus onto his bed and waited until the door was closed before he and Sirius changed back from their Animagus forms. James noticed Sirius trying to hide a wound that looked suspiciously like a bite mark from him and frowned. "What the bloody hell happened to you, Siri?" he asked, walking over and lightly resting his wand against the wound.

Sirius flushed a brilliant red under James' scrutiny and said nothing.

"Sirius Orion Black, what the bloody hell happened to you?" James asked in a deadly serious voice.

Sirius looked away. "When I was coming out of the forest I think I pricked myself on a thistle," he said finally.

James watched his friend for a moment longer, saying nothing. He knew Sirius was lying, and he had a feeling that he knew what - or who, rather - had caused the wound, but he just pursed his lips and healed the wound without saying anything on the matter. "Try avoiding the thistles next time," he said finally, grinning.

Sirius sheepishly returned the grin and nodded. "How's Remy doing?" he asked, and the two of them both turned their attention back to Remus, who was still unconscious.

"I'll go get breakfast for us," James said, grabbing the Marauder's Map from inside his trunk.

"Good thing it's a Saturday," Sirius muttered as he sat on the bed next to Remus. "This moon was hard on him for some reason."

James was silent as he slipped out of the Gryffindor Tower and made his way down to the kitchens.


	31. The tapestry was unfinished

**031. The tapestry was unfinished**

Word Count: 909

* * *

Lucius read the letter that his father had sent him, not sure why she had decided to enclose a small piece of fabric with her letter.

In itself, it was just a two foot long bit of silver silk fabric accompanied by a long thread of black thread. Nothing to exquisite about it, and that in itself was enough to perplex Lucius.

Severus smirked from his spot on his bed. "Good news or bad with that scrap of fabric?" he asked, not looking up from his parchment notebook.

"I'm not sure," Lucius said. "And do try to stop doing that, would you?"

"Stop doing what?" he asked, glancing up at his room-mate.

"You are very much aware that you are not omnipresent, and it is creepy when you try to play as such," he said.

"Fine," Severus said. "But I thought the Malfoys didn't get confused, especially over something as simple as a scrap of fabric," he said with a smirk.

Lucius said nothing, choosing instead to re-read the letter. "Nothing," he muttered irritably.

"On the back," Severus said, motioning at the back of the letter.

"What?"

"Check the back of the bloody letter, Lucius," he said irritably. "There's something written on the back of the damn thing."

Lucius bared his teeth and hissed at Severus, who remained completely unaffected by the behavior. He turned the letter over and found that it held a note from his mother.

_Lucius, I do hope that you are doing well in school and with James. The fabric is a gift for you, from your grandmother. And while I am fully aware that while your grandmother is no longer living, this was in our family vault at one of the banks in Russia, with a note that it was to be delivered to you shortly after you found the one destined to be your mate._

Lucius took a seat on the edge of his bed, continuing to read the note.

_This is to be the start of your own family tapestry. You will, of course, keep your place in the Malfoy family tapestry, but each of us has our own, as a way to survive should we ever be separated from our family. You may not remember it, but you saw your father's tapestry when you were around five years old, and you asked me why the tapestry was unfinished. I was unable to answer the question, and in time you will learn the answer on your own. You must hand sew it, and it starts when you tack both your name and the name of your mate into the fabric, and it grows as does your family._

Severus looked over at him oddly, not saying anything as he gathered his notebook and a cloak to leave the room. "Have fun with your letter, Luc," he said.

"Be back before dawn," Lucius said.

"Imposing a curfew on me, my friend? That's not much like you."

Lucius smirked and looked over at the young man. "You ought to know me better than that, Sev. No, Slughorn came around at dawn for the past three days to see if either of us were present," he said.

Severus smirked. "For the past two nights, your James has shared your bed here," he said.

"I have ways to protect my mate from sight when either he or I wish that he not be seen," Lucius said calmly. "And Slughorn did not find out James was here, and he did not get hands on any of your research, so perhaps you ought to thank me rather than tease that I had to hide the presence of my mate."

Mockingly, Severus turned and bowed to Lucius. "But of course, my ever-noble Malfoy, I am forever in your debt," he said with a smirk.

"And do your best to remember that, my pet," Lucius said, mirroring Severus' smirk.

Severus rolled his eyes and headed out of the room, shutting the door almost silently behind him.

He waited for a long moment, making sure that Severus wasn't about to turn around and come back into the room for something he'd forgotten to bring with him for his night out in whichever classroom he had misappropriated for use as his temporary potions lab. No indication that Severus would return or that James would decide to join him this evening came about, and he deemed the room private enough to start inspecting the fabric more closely.

An hour later he had lost most of his interest in the fabric and was wondering what else he could do with his time - it was a Saturday night and James had informed him that he would likely not be coming to visit this evening, but not to rule out the possibility.

Sighing loudly, he just leaned back in his bed, absently toying with the scrap of fabric as he rested one hand behind his head and tried to think of something to do with his time.


	32. I never liked needlework

**032. I never liked needlework**

Word Count: 956

* * *

Lily turned a corner in the hallway, doing her assigned Prefect duty of patrolling the halls to ensure that no one was attempting to break curfew, and found herself unfortunately surprised at what she saw. Lucius Malfoy, the Prince of Slytherin, was sitting in the sill of a window and toying absently with something in his hands. Carefully, so as not to alert the dangerous man of her presence, she crept over to stand slightly behind him.

It was a piece of plain fabric, that was it. Lily had to bite back a scoff at the mere thought of such an arrogant Pureblood taking the chance to lose House points to finger a worn out scrap of fabric. "You know, Malfoy, I never liked needlework," she said. "I pinned you as one to like it even less. What's so fascinating about the material that has you breaking curfew to ponder it?" she asked, her curiosity once again getting the better of her.

"Do not stick your nose where it does not belong," he snapped. "You are nothing by a waste of my time, Mudblood," Lucius said in a positively glacial tone.

"You're losing Slytherin 50 points for being out after curfew. And so near Gryffindor territory," Lily said haughtily. "One might think you had some sort of ulterior motive up here."

At this statement, Lucius turned abruptly to face Lily and she had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop from either staring outright or running away.

Lucius Malfoy did indeed manage to give off an impression of royalty. He was tall and, while not at all bulky, his lean, muscular body sent off ripples of intimidation to anyone around her. A few strands of his silver-blond hair had fallen loose from the tie he had kept it in, and they framed his molten mercury eyes in a way that made him seem almost ethereal.

"Mudblood, as I do not consider you to be worth my time, I will merely tell you to have someone pull out the stick from your arse and leave me alone. You are not to speak to me, or even look at me for that matter, from this point forward," he said, his tone only growing colder.

Lily bit her cheek harder, and the coppery tang of blood was a welcome change from the tears welling up in her eyes. Never had she been spoken too in such a manner, and the fact that she knew James was still at least partially interested in Malfoy made the dressing down he was giving her made it sting more.

He leveled a cold smirk at her once he realized that she was close to breaking down in tears. "To prove that I am not so unfeeling, Mudblood, I will allow you to flee from me and break down in tears when you are in some forgotten little corner that you fancy to be your shelter," he said, his smirk growing more inhumanly cold.

She hiccuped a bit before running away into the Gryffindor Tower, ignoring the looks she got from her fellow House-mates, and secluded herself away in her canopy bed. Lily merely broke down in tears, doing her best not to think of the sight she was - sobbing uncontrollably with snot dripping from her nose as she did her best to brush off her encounter with Lucius Malfoy, no matter how brief it was.

Lucius, for his part, found that he was in much better spirits after having frightened the Mudblood that was panting after his mate, and made his way toward the passage that would lead him down to the dungeons again. Just before he slid into the gap behind the suit of armor, he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around.

It was, surprisingly enough, Remus Lupin. The werewolf gave him an uneasy smile, and said nothing for a brief moment. "I realize that you and I are not exactly on the best of terms, and I am taking a great risk of stopping whatever sort of progress we've made with each other," he finally admitted. "James and Sirius are upstairs having a rather drunk conversation about me, and I am not of the mind to hear embarrassing stories rehashed any number of times over," he said.

Lucius smirked as one of his hands slipped into his pocket and he made sure that the slip of fabric was still there. "You are nowhere near as grating as the mutt that clings to you," he said.

Remus smiled tiredly and produced a small roll of parchment. "I would owe you something very similar to the Gryffindor password during a Quidditch match if you would be so kind as to give this to Severus," he said.

Almost without thinking, Lucius took the roll and slipped it into his pocket with the fabric he'd been absently fiddling with since his mother had sent it. "I will take you up on that offer, I suppose," he said. "What is the parchment regarding?" he asked.

"Did Severus not tell you?" Remus asked.

Lucius remained stoically silent, and Remus frowned.

"I suppose you both have been too occupied with your own problems," he said. "Ask him about it when you and he both return to your room this evening," he added before disappearing into the hall and making his way back into the Gryffindor Tower.


	33. The colors were rich

**033. The colors were rich**

Word Count: 937

* * *

His dorm room was empty when he arrived back there, so Lucius decided that he had enough time to wander the halls in search of his friend. He cursed his Gryffindor-like curiosity at his inability to merely go into his dorm room and fall asleep. Had he not stumbled into Severus' temporary Potions lab, he might have gone on to blame James for infecting him with such a blasted curiosity.

Severus was sitting on a chair, his pen falling rapidly overtop of his paper, and Lucius found that it was far too easy for him to sneak up on him.

"Good news, I trust?" he asked, standing directly behind Severus.

The younger man reacted violently to being surprised - he landed an elbow into Lucius' nose without so much as turning around. "Don't think you can get away with this attempted robbery of my research, Slughorn," he snarled out irritably.

Lucius remained silent, though he had wisely decided to move out of Severus' immediate striking range. Both of his hands had gone to his now bloody and likely broken nose.

When there was no sound from behind him, Severus turned around with his wand drawn and ready to strike out again. "What the - Lucius? I thought you were moping in your bed," he said, the wind entirely leaving his sails.

"I came to give you a message from your test subject, Sev," Lucius muttered, not thinking of fixing his nose at the moment. "And I will have you know that I resent being treated as some sort of messenger boy," he added indignantly, though his intimidating person was lessened quite a bit because of the blood streaming down his nose and the amused smirk on his face.

"Well then, give me the bloody message, you insufferable prat," Severus snapped, an equally amused smirk on his face. "I haven't got all night to put up with the Malfoy way of making everyone suffer until they feel better themselves," he said.

Lucius' smirk grew more friendly and he took a seat in the nearest chair. "You are aware that you've got ink smeared across your face?" he asked, finally healing his nose with a silent flick of his wand.

Severus merely shrugged and leaned back in his chair, his essay momentarily forgotten as Lucius tossed him the roll of parchment that Remus had given him some twenty minutes ago. The dark-haired Slytherin set it on the table without looking at what the werewolf had written.

"It's good news, then?" Lucius asked amiably.

"It's thrilling news," Severus replied as he motioned at a number of vials resting on the table. Two of them were blue while the other four were a deep rust color that reminded Lucius almost of not-entirely dried blood. The colors were rich, which Lucius knew to indicate a strength in the ingredients, and he hummed rather happily. "I suppose congratulations are somewhat in order, Sev," he said.

"More than that. I've set up a meeting with the Council for the Hogsmeade weekend in a few days, and with any luck, I'm gong to be certified as a Potions Master before we graduate from this bloody hell-hole," Severus said.

Lucius smirked and watched his childhood friend for a long moment. Finally, his gaze rested on the other man's left forearm, where his cloak sleeve had bunched up a bit. "You've taken the Mark, then?" he asked, doing his best to sound casual.

"I took it over the winter holidays, Luc, after speaking with the Dark Lord in person," he said. "The man has given me his word that I would be permitted to be there only as a Potions Master and as a Healer, to the Dark Lord himself," he said. "I will not be seeing direct combat unless I directly desire it." He paused, saying nothing for a moment. "The Dark Lord speaks highly of you, Luc. He informed me that the sooner he had the younger of the Malfoys securely on his side, certain things would fall into place, and that victory for his side would be all but in the palm of his hand."

"I am to take the Mark over the spring holidays, in the month before graduation," Lucius said.

"And what does your Gryffindor have to say about that?" Severus asked as he silently reinforced the Privacy wards set upon the room.

Lucius shrugged. "He has yet to tell me anything other than he needs to think about it before he tells me anything about it. The conversation has come up once before," he said.

"That is rather amusing, based on the git that is James Potter," Severus said.

A noise in the hallway just outside the classroom caught both of their attentions and, in mere seconds, Severus had secured his potions and his parchment inside his pack. "I suppose that the two of us ought to get back into the dorms before Slughorn attempts to punish both of us for something tedious and trivial," he said.

Lucius merely nodded and escorted his friend back to the Slytherin chambers. He made sure that the potions and the like were all secure before settling into bed. It was nearing dawn when he finally managed to drift off to sleep.


	34. You have chocolate on your chin

**034. You have chocolate on your chin**

Word Count: 956

* * *

James looked over at Lucius, who was reading over his attempt at a competent Potions essay in an attempt to help James stop from failing the class.

"Honestly, James, how have you lasted this long if you've turned in essays like this?" he asked, turning a bit to look back at the Gryffindor. He paused when he realized that James had braided a number of somethings into his hair. "And now you are ignoring my attempts to help you?" he asked.

James merely hummed, continuing to braid the feathers he'd stolen from the Potions storeroom into Lucius' silver-blond hair. "I am paying attention to you," he said. "I just happen to be entertaining myself while you take an inordinate amount of time reading my essay."

"That's almost a four-syllable word, isn't it?" Lucius asked with a smirk. "Did you hurt yourself trying to say it?"

"I will have you know that I can handle much more than four syllables in my mouth," James said haughtily, though there was a grin on his face that belied his attempt at snobbishness.

Lucius smirked. "I am well aware of that fact, pet," he said. "Are you going to focus on this essay, or are you going to continue to try to coerce me into bed?" he asked, setting the essay off to the side and leaning back against James.

James looked around - they were sitting on Lucius' bed in the Slytherin dorms. "We are already in bed together," he said, draping his arms over the blond's shoulders. "So technically, I have no coercing to do," he said.

"And when you fail this class because you refuse to make even the most pathetic of attempts at paying attention and writing essays, as Potions is necessary to graduate from Hogwarts, I will not resort to visiting you here next year. As much as I would enjoy having you on your hands and knees, I would much rather ensure that you are graduating with me," he said.

James frowned, glaring at the essay. "Do I have to focus on that right now, though?" he asked.

"I just told you that I wasn't going to tolerate you not graduating," Lucius snapped, turning around and pinning James to the bed in one quick movement.

"I came to spend time with you, not to get a tutoring lesson," James snapped back, struggling under Lucius' hold. "If I only wanted help with my schoolwork, I would have sought out a Ravenclaw."

"Then why didn't you?" Lucius asked, arching a speculative eyebrow.

James frowned and stopped his struggles. "Because I don't exactly fancy having to sleep with a near perfect stranger just for them to write an essay for me, like I used to do," he muttered darkly. "The Gryffindor ideal of loyalty is not just an abstract ideal, Luc."

Lucius smiled, leaning down and kissing James. He was about to deepen the kiss when the door opened suddenly, and both of them looked up at the intruder.

"Oh, that's a lovely sight to be greeted by," Severus drawled irritably as he walked into the room and slammed the door shut. "Lucius, Slughorn has mentioned that he'll be doing room checks this evening because there has been a rise in thefts from his storerooms. He mentioned that anyone who is caught with stolen items will be serving detention with him until the day of graduation," he said, tossing a parchment notebook onto his bed.

"Hey Sev, do you have chocolate on your chin?" James asked from his spot underneath Lucius.

The hostile Slytherin pinned a glare on him, ready to let loose the full force of his sarcasm. Lucius sent Severus a quick glare, though, and Severus closed his mouth. "It isn't chocolate, you brainless dolt. It's dried blood," he said irritably after a minute.

Almost immediately, both Lucius and James were sitting up and straightening themselves a bit, waiting shamelessly for Severus to tell them what had happened to him.

Severus just watched the two of them for a long moment, saying nothing. Finally, he motioned at Lucius' hair. "The albino macaw feathers in your hair are going to land you in trouble, and James is going to end up in serious trouble for being here after curfew. You might want to hide him somewhere," he said.

"I am in the room, and I am perfectly capable of hearing you talking about me like I'm not here and hiding myself when I need to," James said. "What happened to you that left dried blood on your chin?" he asked.

Severus smirked. "And here I had almost forgotten that you Gryffindors were the absolute personification of subtlety. Lily Evans has a message for you, Lucius, and it is not a pleasant one," he said. "She was conducting patrols in the dungeons, because a Gryffindor prefect just absolutely needs to be watching the halls in the Slytherin territory," he said. "I came out of an empty classroom and she punched me in the face before informing me that I was to deliver you a message."

"What message?" Lucius asked.

"I will not risk getting punched in the face by a second Gryffindor tonight," Severus snapped, not hesitating to glare at James. "I will not relay the message to you until your pet lion is safely out of earshot."


	35. The water was tepid

**035. The water was tepid**

Word Count: 1,017

* * *

Almost immediately after Severus had mentioned that he was not willing to disclose what was probably an inane threat from Lily Evans in front of a Gryffindor, James decided that perhaps it might be a good time for him to take a bath in the bathroom attached to the room, if only to allow Lucius and Severus a notable degree of privacy. He had informed Lucius what his plans were, and the Slytherin had been quietly grateful at the gesture. On his way into the bathroom, Lucius had tossed him a towel and told him that he would join James in the over-sized bathtub once he had finished speaking with Severus.

That had been over an hour and a half ago, and James had yet to hear anything that was taking place on the other side of the oak door. Most likely Severus had warded the room with a few more Privacy and anti-Eavesdropping charms, on top of the ones that Lucius had put into place when James had first arrived in the room, even if only to prevent James from somehow managing to overhear whatever it was that he was clearly trying to hide from him.

The water was tepid and James was fighting a losing battle against falling asleep, though there was one thing that stopped him from being able to drift off to sleep entirely. He kept thinking back to the night that he still refused to address seriously with Remus, not that the werewolf had seemed too keen on bringing it up himself.

His hands strayed to his stomach, which showed no signs whatsoever that he had ever been pregnant, no matter how short the baby's life had been, and he sighed. There had been plenty of opportunities for him to tell Lucius about what had happened, and each time he had buckled under the threat of what might happen. Not so much what Lucius would do to Dumbledore, but more what Dumbledore would try to do to Lucius or James. Not to mention Remus, who knew how to keep any number of secrets.

He leaned back in the water, not noticing the door open and shut almost silently. As his eyes closed, James absently realized that a quick spell was cast and the water immediately warmed up significantly as someone discarded his robes and stepped into the tub.

"James," Lucius said quietly as he slid down next to his mate.

There was no response: James had apparently succumbed to the sudden exhaustion that seemed to go hand in hand with his focus on the topic of his stolen child.

Lucius took the moment to look over his mate and he noticed James' hands settled almost protectively onto his stomach. He took hold of James' hands and removed them from the young man's stomach, entwining his fingers with his own.

James looked up at Lucius with wide eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered suddenly.

"Sorry about what?" Lucius asked.

The Gryffindor tinged red slightly but sat up. "What did Severus have to say about whatever it was that Evans had to say to him?" he asked, hoping that Lucius would forget his spontaneous apology.

"Nothing that you need to worry about, pet," Lucius said.

At James' disbelieving look, Lucius smirked. "I do not care to create a situation in which both of us intend on killing Evans the next time she should happen to get in our way," he said. "The fact that she has dared to lay her hand on Severus leads me to believe that he should be the one to claim first blood on her."

"I'll try to pretend that I'm not both interested and appalled at your idea," James said, and Lucius smirked. James returned the smirk evenly, causing Lucius' confidence to falter slightly before he pulled the Slytherin to lay more fully on top of him. He weaved his fingers into Lucius' hair, his smirk growing slightly when he felt that the feathers he'd braided in earlier had not been taken out, and pulled Lucius down into a kiss.

When Lucius leaned back, he stared at James, who was watching him lazily. "I will not tell you what it was that Evans said."

"I'll just go ask the other Slytherin, then," James said, turning to get out of the tub.

Lucius just smirked again and leaned back, getting himself comfortable against the edge of the tub. "I would suggest waiting for a better time to speak with Sev. Now is not a good time."

James stopped where he was and looked over his shoulder at Lucius. "Why not?" he asked.

"Well, he did mention that he wasn't quite inclined to share what he had heard with me while you could hear, so it would be reasonable to assume that he would be even less interested in sharing what he heard directly with you," Lucius said, pulling his hair back with a leather tie. "And then there is just the minor problem that Slughorn is in the other room, doing his best to coerce Sev into giving up the research and the potions now that it has all been finalized and is ready to be sent to the council."

"Is he going to be alright?" James asked, settling himself back into the tub, but glancing back at the door with a worried look on his face.

Lucius shrugged. "Slughorn does have a tendency to use borderline illegal curses when he's speaking with Sev, but I know without a doubt that Sev can handle whatever that ignoramus attempts to throw his way," he said.

James grinned. "I wasn't asking about Severus' health, actually," he said.

Lucius chuckled quietly, relaxing almost entirely in the tub.


	36. I couldn't find my notebook

**036. I couldn't find my notebook**

Word Count: 979

* * *

James ran into the Transfigurations classroom and slid into his usual seat against the back wall, next to Sirius, almost twenty minutes late for the class.

McGonagall arched an eyebrow at him and turned to him her full attention. "Mister Potter, please do share with the rest of the class why you have decided to distract everyone by arriving so late," she said.

Sirius looked at James, a boyish, immature grin on his face as he waited to see what James could come up with to get their Head of House to let him off easy.

James waited for a long moment, at first unable to think of a plausible reason. He couldn't very well tell her the truth, since that involved a rapidly increasing hatred for the Headmaster, which would not, under any circumstances, be accepted. He still had a personal theory that McGonagall and the Headmaster were in some sort of relationship together, but that was a bit too gruesome for even him to think about seriously.

"We are all waiting for what will likely be an interesting story from you, Mister Potter," McGonagall said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Biting back a sigh, James adopted his trademark grin and leaned back in the chair. "I couldn't find my notebook," he said simply.

Sirius stared at him, not sure what to expect from him, but remained silent. His long-time friend could usually think of something more innovative than that.

James shrugged. "Well, I had to find it because it wasn't in the bed I woke up in this morning and I couldn't quite remember where I was or what other beds I had been in," he said, eliciting a ripple of chuckles around the room. "I thought it would be prudent to show up to class prepared, rather than leaving some lovely student my Transfigurations notes without so much as a 'thank you,'" he added.

"The next time that something like that happens, Mister Potter, do try more diligently to arrive on time," she said. "Five points from Gryffindor for your tardiness." And with that, she turned her attention back onto the lesson that she had written on the board in the front of the classroom.

Sirius leaned over next to James, saying nothing for a long moment. Once he was sure that McGonagall was not going to call him out on talking out of turn, he rested a friendly arm on James' shoulder. "What has you so distracted, Jimmy?" he asked. "You could have turned out a more interesting lie than that before the winter holidays."

"Drop it, Siri," Remus muttered from his spot on the other side of Sirius. "If Jim wants to tell us, then he'll tell us when he's bloody well ready to do so."

"I've been having nightmares, Siri," James said quietly, so that only Sirius and possibly Remus could hear him. "Well, I'm not entirely sure that they qualify as nightmares, but I don't know what the bloody hell to call them," he said.

"Is that why you've been filching the Dreamless Sleep potions from Slughorn's store-room as often as you have?" Sirius asked, and James looked over at him sharply. At the look, Sirius just shrugged. "I saw you put some in your trunk one night, Jim," he said.

James nodded, biting back a self-deprecating scoff. Of course, Sirius would be the one to catch him on that. He had only been worried about Remus catching him, and in the course of those events, he would have made it much easier for Sirius to see what he was up to. "They haven't been working, though," he admitted, sounding almost ashamed of that fact.

Remus' head whipped over so he could watch James. "That means that what you're seeing is not a mere dream, be it unpleasant or not," he said.

McGonagall, without looking over at the three, cleared her throat loudly and continued on with her lessons.

Sirius looked up at the board and grinned, temporarily distracting both James and Remus from what would likely become another concerned interrogation from Remus. It would end up happening later, probably while James and Remus were out watching Sirius during the Gryffindor team's Quidditch practice.

"Alright, class. If you have listened closely enough and payed proper attention to the lecture and the notes on the board, you should have no difficulties in this transformation," McGonagall said. "Each of you needs to come up and get your own mouse. Once you have collected the rodent, take it back to your seat and transfigure it into an juvenile version of a predatory animal. This takes extra focus, so do take care. If you transform your mouse into a fully-grown predatory animal, you will fail this assignment," she said.

Remus and James both turned to look at Sirius with knowing looks. He opened his mouth to protest, but when Professor McGonagall turned a warning look on him as well, he fell back in his chair with a defeated look on his face.

"Remy, you ought to know me better," Sirius said, sounding very much like he was whining or pleading with the werewolf.

"Siri, it's because I know you so well that I will tell you up front that if you mess this up, you're sleeping in your own bed for a minimum of a month," Remus threatened as he stood up to face the crowd of other students to get three mice for he, James, and Sirius to use.


	37. He chanted under his breath

**037. He chanted under his breath**

Word Count: 999

* * *

James was one of the first to arrive in the Potions classroom for the 5:00 class, which surprised the only other occupants of the room - Remus and Severus. The two of them seemed even more surprised when he walked over and took a seat on the table, next to where Remus was sitting.

"Is there something you need, Potter?" Severus asked.

"Not particularly," James replied amiably enough. "I was curious about the rumors that have spread around the school as to why Slughorn threatened you with expulsion the other morning," he said.

"And you thought that, because we had such a wonderful report with each other, that I might just hand over the explanation for that without giving you any grief?" Severus asked.

James hesitated for a brief moment, looking around the room and making sure that no one had walked into the room and was paying any undue attention to the three of them. When he deemed it safe enough, he turned back to Severus. "When Siri made the mistake of sending you after Remus in his fully formed alter-ego, you ended up with a number bite wounds that should have resulted in you getting infected with the disease," he mentioned quietly.

Remus smirked. "James, stop skirting around the question that you want to ask and just ask it," he said, just as quietly. "Sev did not catch the disease of lycanthropy," he said.

"So you found a cure?" James asked, looking over at Severus.

The Slytherin smirked. "Not quite," he said. "There was a strange reaction with my Wolfsbane and the Numbing Potions that managed to counter the venom of the werewolf," he said. "I have not been able to pinpoint exactly what it was that caused the reaction that it did, but at this point, there is no way for me to do anything more than hypothesize what happened."

"What does that mean?" he asked, glancing over at Remus.

"It means that no one in their right mind is going to allow Sev the test subjects necessary to verify any of his hypotheses on the topic, no matter how well-researched they are," he said. "Human testing has been illegal for, what, three centuries now?"

"Four hundred and sixty some-odd years," Severus said. "Whatever happened to me is not without any negative consequences."

"What consequences might those be?" James asked.

Remus frowned, crossing his arms, but said nothing.

Severus sneered at James. "Just because I have become slightly less hostile toward you does not mean that I'm going to share each and every one of my personal secrets with you, idiot. Why don't you find somewhere else to make yourself comfortable during this class period?" he asked.

James grinned, opening his mouth to make his retort, but Remus clapped a hand over his mouth to stop him.

"Enough, James," he said. "Go back to your usual seat and try not to act too enthusiastic when Lucius comes in and sits down next to you."

James did so, though he did not stop himself from leveling an irritated glare onto Remus as he situated himself into his usual seat.

Moments later, Lucius took a seat next to him and leaned around his chair to look over at Severus, who gave him the slightest of nods. Lucius smirked and straightened himself, though not before taking hold of James' hand.

"What's going on?" James asked.

Lucius looked over at him. "Just watch."

"Watch what, exactly?" James asked.

He received no answer from the Slytherin, but one was not needed. Professor Slughorn stormed into the room, not hesitating to send Severus a venomous glare before making his way down to his desk.

Lucius smirked, removing his hand from James' hand to rest it on his thigh.

"This isn't going to be pretty, is it?" he asked, looking over at the Elf.

"Not at all," Lucius murmured before nodding toward the front of the classroom.

Slughorn had practically thrown himself into the office chair behind his desk, and he was glaring relentlessly at Severus, who seemed more than willing to return the glare with one of his own.

James paused a moment, thinking that he heard Slughorn muttering something, but when he watched the man carefully, he didn't see his lips moving even a little bit.

Lucius seemed to have picked up on the situation as well, and he leaned closer to James. "He's cloaking his speech, but it's him."

As he chanted under his breath what was most likely some vicious curse that would cause some sort of severe damage to Severus, both James and Lucius turned their focus onto Severus, who was subtly inching his wand from it's hiding spot in his sleeve. Remus had slipped into the chair directly behind Severus, and he looked over at James, silently speaking with him.

Lucius took note of this as well, and he glanced over at Severus before pulling out his wand and locking the door with an incredibly strong spell that not only kept people out, but also prevented anyone from eavesdropping on the conversation taking place inside the room. Slughorn paid him no attention, so Lucius all but shoved James under the table in front of them and sat next to him.

"What's going on?" James asked, his voice no louder than a whisper.

"Stay quiet and hope that this doesn't have to come to bloodshed to end," he replied. "And keep your wand close in hand," he added, giving James a quick kiss.


	38. She always said that

**038. She always said that**

Word Count: 1,421

* * *

James watched Slughorn for any further signs of violence, but the man seemed to be momentarily content with muttering whatever it was he was muttering in Severus' direction, though the air in the classroom had become noticeably heavier.

Lucius kept his eyes on Severus. The less sociable Slytherin had his wand almost fully exposed, and he had braced himself to receive a strike while also shifting so that the werewolf was shielded behind him.

"You have nothing to gain by attacking me again," Slughorn proclaimed, finally breaking the tense near-silence in the room as he stood suddenly, knocking his chair onto the ground as he did so.

That statement was enough to have Severus on his feet. "You stole my proposal, you slimy old bastard!"

"Proposal?" James asked, only to have Lucius clap a hand over his mouth.

"Would you keep your mouth shut?" he hissed. "The less attention we get right now, the better."

"I want my research back!" Severus snarled, sounding oddly similar to Remus when the full moon was approaching. "And if I have to bleed you dry to get it, I won't hesitate."

Slughorn scoffed, taking a threatening step toward his student. "You wouldn't be able to make the first incision," he snapped. "Be it with your wand or a knife. And once I get you out of my way permanently, I'm going to take that beast behind you and subject it to every test I can think of."

Severus paused a moment as Slughorn took another step toward him, looking very much like he was hesitant in acting out his threat.

Remus took that brief moment to duck under the table behind him and crawl to the back of the classroom, hiding easily in the shadows.

"You've got nothing to say when faced with an actual threat from a qualified, certified Potions Master, have you?" Slughorn said, finally reaching Severus and taking hold of the hand that was not holding the young man's wand.

Still, Severus remained silent, though the heavy atmosphere seemed only to intensify as he smirked up at the Potions professor. "You will return my work to me or you will die for threatening a student," he said icily, sounding more like Lucius than himself.

Slughorn paused a moment, not sure how to interpret the statement, and that was his downfall. As his brow furrowed in confusion, Severus yanked his wrist back to his body, pulling the overweight Potions professor up against him. The second their bodies made contact, Severus stabbed the man in the side with his wand, a cruel glint in his eyes as he repeated the movement two more times.

"He's going to kill him," James murmured.

Lucius was watching the flow of blood silently, apparently entranced with the sight of it.

"Lucius?" James asked. No response. "Remus?" he asked, just as quietly.

The young werewolf crawled out of the corner and looked over at James, nodding to show that he had indeed heard him. He looked up at the scene in front of him and cautiously stood up, approaching the two Slytherins.

When he made it close enough to lay a hand on Severus' shoulder, the younger Slytherin had stabbed his head of house a total of seven times with his wand, and the man was unable to stand on his own. Slughorn was leaning heavily on the table in front of him, still blubbering out threats against both Severus and Remus despite the fact that he was bleeding heavily.

The contact from Remus startled Severus, and he whirled around to face Remus, for a moment pressing his wand into Remus' throat. He jerked it back when he recognized the Gryffindor, and an odd expression came over his face before he adopted an emotionless mask.

"That is enough," Remus said calmly, looking over at Lucius, who was still watching the blood seeping from Slughorn's side. "Lucius, lift the spells," he said.

James elbowed Lucius lightly, and repeated the instruction once he was sure that he had Lucius' attention.

As soon as the spells were removed, both Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall burst into the room and surveyed the scene before them. It was McGonagall who finally spoke. "I want all of you in the Hospital Wing immediately," she said shrilly, and the four students nodded, quickly moving to do as told.

James walked next to Lucius, who had refused to let go of his hand, and he did not miss the hardening in the Headmaster's eyes when the two of them brushed past him to leave the classroom.

Once everyone had gathered in the Hospital Wing and Madame Pomfrey had healed Professor Slughorn's wound - tsking when she realized that his assault had caused not only four broken ribs, but a punctured lung - Dumbledore ushered them all into Madame Pomfrey's office.

"Severus, my boy, assaulting a teacher is not only punishable by expulsion, but time served in Azkaban," the Headmaster said, glaring momentarily at James and Lucius before turning his focus onto Severus.

"It was warranted, Headmaster," Remus interjected softly, looking shyly at Severus, who refused to return his gaze. "Not only did Professor Slughorn steal private research, he also threatened to kill him."

"He also threatened to force Remy to undergo tests, like he was some sort of lab animal," James snapped, glaring at Slughorn, who was more than willing to return the hateful look.

"Is this true, Horace?" Dumbledore asked.

"Are you aware that the boy was conducting his research using potions materials that he stole from my storeroom?" the man asked.

Severus glared at the man, though he reached for his wand again, and only Remus' hand on his wand arm seemed to calm him.

"If that is true, it is a serious accusation, but that is not what I asked you. Horace, did you intentionally threaten two of my students with serious bodily harm?" Dumbledore asked.

Slughorn bared his teeth in a loose interpretation of a grin. "They had it coming to them! One is a pompous little orphan who likes to think he is better than his teacher and the other is just an animal masquerading as one of us," he snarled, glaring at Remus.

Both James and Severus reacted to that, and though they were both restrained within seconds, Horace Slughorn found himself struck with simultaneous _Diffindo_ curses.

"Boys, that is enough," Dumbledore said, putting both James and Severus under full body binds. "That will result in a two hundred point deduction from both Gryffindor and Slytherin. James, you will be serving detention with me for the next two nights," he said.

James just bared his teeth at the Headmaster, unable to speak.

"Severus," the Headmaster started. "I will need to review your memory of what happened in the Potions classroom, but for assaulting a professor, I must place you on an academic probation and suspend you for two weeks, starting this evening," he said, releasing the two from their bindings.

"I want my proposal back," Severus snapped, glaring at the once-again bloodied Slughorn. "_Before_ I accept my suspension."

Dumbledore nodded. "You will have it. Now, Lucius, would you be so kind as to escort your fellow Slytherin back to your dorm room?" he asked.

Lucius nodded and did so.

As Remus walked over to James' side, they both took note of Dumbledore speaking quietly with Slughorn as he healed the man's wounds. "I should have listened to Poppy when she first came to me about this behavior between you and Severus. She always said that you were too vindictive for your own good, and I suppose she was proven right this evening. You will likely be fired, Horace," he said.

The Potions professor seemed to have run out of things to say, because he stayed silent as Dumbledore tucked his wand back into his belt and walked James and Remus out of the Healer's office.


	39. They've forgotten too

**039. They've forgotten too**

Word Count: 987

* * *

Dumbledore went out of his way to walk Remus back to the Gryffindor Tower, lecturing both him and James about how to properly react when threatened by a teacher - not that either of them were paying much attention to him. Remus was more concerned with the way that James did his best to put as much distance between himself and the Headmaster without seeming too obvious while James was focusing on pretending like he didn't feel like kicking the Headmaster in the crotch and running as far away from the man as possible.

Once they'd arrived inside the Tower, Sirius practically attacked Remus, checking him for any sign he was injured while simultaneously trying to get him undressed.

"Minerva," Albus called, as soon as Sirius and Remus had locked themselves in their dorm room. "I will be keeping Mister Potter for detention tonight and tomorrow night, as a result of what occurred earlier. He will return to the Tower before midnight, so there will be no drastic curfew violation," he said, and the stern woman nodded understandingly. "Come with me, James."

"Couldn't I just go back to the Potions room and scrubs cauldrons or something?" James asked, not looking up at the Headmaster.

"I have plenty of things in my office that need polished, and you seem to have already forgotten my advice that you ought to spend less time with Lucius Malfoy," Dumbledore said. He looked back at James, who was dragging along as slowly as he could. Biting back a sigh, the headmaster grabbed the sullen Gryffindor by the elbow and half-pulled him up to his office.

Five and a half hours later, after James had cleaned the entire staircase leading up to the headmaster's office and the floor of the office itself with just a Muggle toothbrush, he found himself sitting in a chair facing Dumbledore. The headmaster had delivered him his instructions and then left for some other place in Hogwarts, returning only when one of the portraits alerted him that James had completed his tasks.

"You do not seem to be able to grasp the gravity surrounding your choice to consort with Slytherins, especially one as dangerous as Lucius Malfoy. Not only has his family had distinct ties to Dark Lords since their family line first emerged in our world, but he is not going to give you what you want," he said, ending a twenty minute long lecture that James had, for the most part, completely disregarded.

"With all due respect, Headmaster," James growled. "You could not possibly have the faintest idea what I want or the knowledge as to whether or not any specific person could provide me with what I want."

"You are only sixteen years old, James, you have no idea what you want," Albus said with a scoff at the mere idea.

James narrowed his eyes, but still refused to look up at the man he had once respected beyond repute. "You are not me," he snapped.

"I will be frank with you, then, since nothing else seems to have worked," Dumbledore said. "Your family is a very upstanding family, with a generations-long stance in the Light. Continuing to spend time with a member of the Malfoy family will damage that reputation, and I know your father will not be at all pleased with you destroying that reputation."

"Leave my father out of this, Headmaster."

Albus straightened himself in his chair. "If you continue down this path, he will soon involve himself whether I mention his name or not, James," he said. "Now, Lily Evans has forgiven you for spending so much time with Lucius Malfoy. Sirius Black and Remus Lupin have both assured me that they -"

"That they, what? Know why I started spending time with Lucius in the first place?" James snapped, finally glaring up at Albus, who was staring at him with a look of utter disappointment.

"No, James. They assured me that they've forgotten too. You no longer need to worry about their concern that you have abandoned their friendship. All that's left for you to do is to inform the young Mister Malfoy that you are no longer able to see him," Albus said, leaning forward to stare James directly in the eyes. "You must break off all contact with Lucius Malfoy from this point forward. He has only caused you difficulty, and I fear that he will soon attempt to drag you into the depths of Dark magic, if he has not already done so."

James stared incredulously at the Headmaster, his hands trembling with anger as the words the old man was saying sank in. He would not completely dissent to the Dark side simply because he was Lucius' mate, though he and Lucius had not gone out of the way to discuss the finer points of which side they would fight on once they had totally completed the physical act of bonding with each other. "You are out of line," he said coldly, standing up and shoving his hands into the pockets of his robe. "And you know nothing about this situation, no matter how omnipotent you fancy yourself."

Albus regarded James quietly for a moment, and the customary twinkle in his eyes slowly resumed it's twinkling. "That will be everything for this evening, James. You are dismissed."

He didn't wait one second longer before storming out of the Headmaster's office, making his way to an empty broom closet to release his pent up anger. In his haste, though, he missed the small smirk gracing the lips of one Albus Dumbledore.


	40. Go to sleep now

**040. Go to sleep now**

Word Count: 987

* * *

Lily was waiting for him in his bed when he finally got back from his rather infuriating detention with Albus Dumbledore and the subsequent visit to a now completely destroyed broom closet on the fourth floor, and it only added onto James' irritation. Add on to that fact that Lily was wearing some sort of muggle lingerie that he supposed would have been attractive on her, had it not been three sizes too big for her, and she watched his every move from the moment he walked into the room he shared with his three best friends.

"What in the seven levels of hell is going on here?" he growled, baring his teeth at her in the hopes that she would leave.

"Didn't Headmaster Dumbledore explain things to you when you went up to see him this evening?" Lily asked, refusing to budge when he roughly motioned for her to leave his bed. "He told me that you wished to pursue me for marriage. That you wished to start officially court me," she added.

"He was misinformed," James said cruelly, hoping that it would shock Lily out of his bed.

Again, he was met with a lack of success. If it were possible, it seemed as though she made herself even more comfortable in his bed, setting a pillow on her lap as she sat up. "No, James," she said with a smirk that was very much unbecoming of her. "You were misinformed."

A long moment passed in silence, with James glaring and Lily smiling far too innocently at him. Finally, she sighed and moved to crawl to the edge of his bed, though the smile had not entirely left her face.

James glared at her as she got out of his bed. However, the moment he was settled somewhat into the bed, she nestle up next to him.

"Wouldn't you like to know what I mean when I tell you that you were misinformed?" she asked, pressing uncomfortably close to him.

James tried to suppress his sudden urge to cast any number of painful hexes on the girl, but it got increasingly difficult as his skin suddenly felt as though it were on fire where her bare skin was touching his. "Get off me," he said through gritted teeth.

"I thought you liked having skin to skin contact with other people. Isn't that what a whore does?" she asked. Likely it was meant to be something of a teasing, flirtatious comment, but James found nothing entertaining about her statement.

"Stop fucking touching me," he snapped.

She moved back a bit, frowning when James made sure that he was not at all in contact with her skin.

The burning subsided into a light, annoying itching sensation and James had the feeling that the best way for the sensation to completely stop would be for him to approach Lucius. And at the moment, nothing sounded more enticing than sneaking down to the Slytherin dorm rooms and crawling into bed underneath Lucius Malfoy.

"James?" Lily asked, bringing James out of his reverie. "I thought you might care to know what I meant when I mentioned -"

"Fine. What?" James snapped, glaring at the Muggleborn. If she was brazen enough to pull him out of what would, without a doubt, have turned into a delicious dream about the undeniably delicious Lucius Malfoy, then she had the intestinal fortitude to deal with him when he was angry at her.

"Headmaster Dumbledore told me that, as a gesture of good faith in the campaign of the Light Wizards, your father informed him that you would wed a Muggleborn of the Headmaster's choice." A glazed look came over her and she smiled. "Can you believe it? Albus Dumbledore chose me to be your wife, out of all the other Muggleborns in the school?"

"Mudbloods will dilute the power in the Potter line. If you're so interested in being chosen by a Potter, go fuck my father."

"James, that hurt my feelings. It's not nice to call people Mudbloods. And besides, I don't 'fuck' anyone," she said, blushing slightly as she spoke the obscene word.

James snorted his amusement, a sound that reminded him of Lucius. What he did next did not surprise him as much as he thought it might have. He turned to face Lily, and in a tone that had to be positively channeling Lucius, he spoke. "The truth, regardless of the harm that comes by speaking it, must always be revealed," he said before rolling over. "Now get the bloody hell out of my bloody bed and let me get some bloody sleep," he snapped, closing his eyes and picturing Lucius.

The itching had yet to subside.

Lily sniffled a bit, sounding almost like she was crying, but James ignored her. "You didn't mean it," she said quietly. "Go to sleep now, and you'll see that, in the morning, things will look better than they do right now."

"You'll be gone in the morning?" James asked tiredly as he put his head under the pillow and forced himself to go to sleep. The fact that Lily Evans had made herself comfortable next to him dampered his spirits quite a bit, but he did his best to put that fact out of his mind. It was made incredibly more difficult, though, when the itching sensation escalated into a burning feeling again. Once again biting back the urge to hex the redhead next to him, he reached for his wand and cast a sleeping spell on himself.


	41. A lonely death

**041. A lonely death**

Word Count: 994

* * *

James sat in the chair next to Lucius in the Potions classroom, and let out a loud yawn, ignoring the smirk that the Slytherin sent his way. He hadn't been sleeping well lately, and he hadn't mentioned anything about it to the Slytherin. Fortunately, he'd arrived shortly after everyone else, so he and Lucius had a brief moment of privacy while the rest of the class hurried to finish their assigned essays before Slughorn showed up.

"I heard you had two eventful detentions with the Headmaster," Lucius commented carefully. Albus Dumbledore had become something of a sore spot between the two of them, and oftentimes the only instances his name was brought up was in the midst of an argument.

"I wish Lily Evans a lonely death," James groused before subtly worming his hand into Lucius' and leaning against the other student. He sighed as the itching finally receded completely and a calm was restored within himself.

Lucius' eyes narrowed slightly as he looked around the room, looking casually for Lily, despite the fact that he knew she did not have the advanced Potions class with them. "Did she do something to you?" he asked quietly.

James snorted. "Not so much what she did to as how well she went along with whatever Dumbledore has concocted. I also wish Albus Dumbledore a lonely death. And my father," he said.

"You need to inform me as to why you are wishing lonely deaths upon so many people at this hour in the morning," Lucius replied lightly, though the look in his eyes was deadly serious. "I might need to start worrying about your mental health if you attempt to start acting like a Slytherin, no matter how bad the attempt."

James grinned, setting his chin on Lucius' shoulder and sticking his tongue out childishly. "I was unaware Slytherins wished death on people without actually acting it out," he said, pulling straightening in his chair when he noticed Remus looking over at him with more than just a passing glance.

"You should have seen Severus last night, then. Slughorn took one of his ancient Potions books that was apparently crucial to the final leg of his research. I don't think I've ever seen Sev more apt to murder," Lucius replied with a chuckle. "You'd think that a two year probationary period and enough restraints on his magic to make him little more than a Squib would have taught him his lesson, but the idiot is completely relentless. That, of course, only makes Sev more determined to complete this application before he graduates to cement his certification."

That had James looking over at the aforementioned Slytherin.

Severus was sitting at his usual desk in the far corner of the room, glaring at the front board of the classroom while the air around him swirled positively black. He must have felt the gazes of Lucius and James on him, because he turned and offered them both a rude gesture before resuming his gaze on the front board.

Just as Slughorn walked in from his office, the board exploded, sending large shards all towards the Potions professor. One hit it's mark rather impressively and Slughorn fell to the ground, unconscious.

Sirius was the one who spoke up first after that. "Alright!" he exclaimed. "No ruddy class this morning!"

The Gryffindors, and a number of the Slytherins, all quickly headed out of the classroom as they decided what to do with their newly-discovered free time.

Remus, however, lagged behind everyone until he reached James and Lucius, who were still sitting in their chairs, both of them shocked at what they had just seen. "James," he said quietly, his voice worn out as he reached out to touch James' arm to get his attention.

James turned to him. "Is something wrong, Remus?" he asked, concern for his friend overriding his fascination with what he had just seen.

Remus smiled tiredly. "Long night last night is all," he said, choosing his words carefully - he was very much mindful of Lucius' attention on him, despite what Lucius already knew. "The Headmaster came to us while you were serving detention with him and asked that we forgive you for something." He glanced at Lucius before returning his amber eyes to James. "It had to do with blondie, but I was just coming out of a certain restorative potion daze at the time, so I was unable to catch everything that he said, but I got the basic point of it."

James tensed as he realized what it was that Remus was trying to say without hurting him or upsetting Lucius in the process.

Remus seemed to expect this, because he only patted James on the shoulder. "I thought you might care to know that, with me, at least, there is nothing for which forgiveness is required. Sirius will be harder to convince in the long run, but I know he makes you happy and that's all I care about."

James grinned at Remus and then watched as his friend carefully approached the furious Slytherin student that was Severus.

It was incredible what Remus managed to do. Severus went from glowering and surrounded by an almost tangible black rage to guarded and almost friendly toward Remus when the werewolf hesitantly spoke his name.

Lucius looked at James. "I think I may know how to spend our newly discovered free time," he said with a subtle wink.

James, unable to keep the grin off his face, nodded. "Lead the way to your bedchambers, my love," he said as his grin widened.


	42. That's a nice umbrella

**042. That's a nice umbrella**

Word Count: 1,010

* * *

Lucius walked down the hall, intent on making his way into the library to find a certain book that would help him complete his most recently assigned essay for Transfigurations. He had also been convinced to pick up a book for Severus, though the less sociable Slytherin refused to tell him why he needed a book discussing the advantages and disadvantages of raising unicorns and other magical equines in domesticity.

Just as he turned a corner and passed an empty classroom, something inside the classroom caught his attention and he walked inside.

Lily Evans was twirling an odd contraption at her side and muttering to herself while she dragged her quill over a piece of parchment on one of the desks facing away from the door.

Lucius walked silently over to where she was working, standing off to her side and saying nothing while he looked over the rough sketches of what looked to be an elaborate white gown.

It took a long moment, but when she noticed that she was no longer alone in the room, she shrieked and jumped away from Lucius, who merely arched an eyebrow in response to her behavior. He glanced at the object she'd been twirling, which she'd dropped just seconds ago. "That's a nice umbrella, Mudblood," he said with a cold smirk. "Considering that you supposedly contain some magical talent, I would hope that you would have learned how to perform a simple charm. Nearly seven years of schooling should have taught you at least that much."

Lily flushed red, but grabbed the thing and straightened herself enough to look almost squarely at Lucius. "I am more than capable of casting simple charms, Malfoy," she snapped. "And for your information, this is a parasol," she added snottily. "What good would white lace be to shield someone from rain?"

Lucius was silent, choosing instead to glance at the drawing on the desk in front of Lily.

"Do you like it?" she asked, sounding almost sincere. She smiled up at him too sweetly, which immediately set the Prince of Slytherin on edge.

"I tend not to comment on dresses for two reasons," Lucius said coldly.

"And what might those reasons be, Malfoy?" Lily asked.

Lucius smirked. "First of all, as a man who holds no affection for any woman in general, I do not care what women choose to wear. I also find no reason to comment on this dress because no matter how it is designed, if an overweight, underdeveloped Mudblood such as yourself is going to be wearing it, the garment will look hideous," he said.

Lily flushed a bright red and her eyes welled up with tears before she glared at the floor, willing herself not to cry in front of the Slytherin. She grabbed the drawing and shoved it into her schoolbag.

"Now, I might suggest that you keep your ridiculous fantasies in your head where they belong," Lucius said. "I do not wish to see you infecting the Slytherin territories with your tainted existence again."

Lily looked up at him suddenly with tears still present in her eyes, but a cocky smile on her face. "You don't know what the significance behind this dress is, do you?" she asked.

Lucius glared at her. "I do not particularly care to know the significance behind a female garment, Mudblood. Stop wasting my time and get out of Slytherin territory before something unfortunate happens to you."

"I'm going to be more than an irritation to you, Malfoy."

"You flatter yourself," Lucius replied. "The fact that you exist is just a mere inconvenience for me," he said.

Lily grinned, wiping the tears from her eyes as she grabbed the parasol and set it on the desk. "You say that now, Malfoy, but there will soon come a time that you will be thinking of me as more than just a pebble in your high and mighty shoe," she said.

"Have you heard of the term 'delusions of grandeur,' Mudblood?" Lucius asked.

Lily sniffed indignantly. "Of course I've heard of that term," she snapped. "Not only am I the brightest witch of my day, I also find myself far too well-acquainted with Sirius Black, who is the utter embodiment of delusional. Regardless, keep this dress in mind and try to get it through your head that you are not as beyond reproach as you like to think you are," she said.

With that said, she picked up her parasol, grinned cheekily at Lucius and just about pranced to the door of the room. Once she stood in the threshold of the room, she turned around to look back at Lucius.

"I almost forgot. Two hundred points from Slytherin for harassing an equal student," she said.

"Evans, the day that you are equal to me is the day that Merlin rises from the dead just to fuck Dumbledore up the arse," Lucius growled.

Lily smirked. "That just lost you another fifty points from Slytherin, this time for slandering the Headmaster's good name," she said.

Lucius bit back the urge to snort, instead choosing to arch an eyebrow in Lily's direction.

She just smiled a saccharine smile at him before prancing out of sight.

It took him a moment after Evans left, but Lucius finally remembered that he was supposed to be getting two books from the library. He shook off his encounter with the overly confident Gryffindor - he would have to keep in mind when he threatened her that she was a prefect for the time being, he told himself - and made his way up to the library.


	43. The rain poured down for days

**043. The rain poured down for days**

Word Count: 1,065

* * *

James pondered what to do as he sat with Remus, watching the Gryffindor Quidditch team practice for their upcoming game against Hufflepuff.

"You've been far too quiet for the past week, James," Remus said. "What's concerning you?" he asked.

James was silent for a long moment. "The Headmaster wishes to see me married off to Lily Evans within the very near future, and the ever pretentious Mudblood has done nothing but go along with that," he said quietly, not looking up from his Transfigurations project - he was supposed to change a rock into an animal of his choice, and he planned to do the same for his Charms assignment, only the animal would need to appear alive for Charms.

"So tell him that you aren't interested," Remus suggested lightly, turning one of the rocks in front of him into a small bird and watching it fly off toward the Forbidden Forest.

"He won't listen to me. I've told him that I have no interest in her as a person and yet he continues to push her on me. It's ridiculous, and I have a better chance of taming a Norwegian Ridgeback than getting Lily Evans to stop forcing herself on me."

Remus grinned and looked over at James. "It might be entertaining, though, to see if the two of you manage to survive in a house together. Never mind the two of you playing at a functional marriage," he said. "Although there is that issue of the Slytherin who you seem to have become very much attached to, and what he might do should he learn that you've wed the Muggleborn."

"He'd kill her, in the slowest, most painful manner that he could think of. And I doubt very much that I would stop him," James said with a small smile.

A bolt of lightning lit up the sky just a little while away, followed by a loud clap of thunder, and soon the Quidditch team retreated into the locker room.

Lightning struck the Gryffindor bleachers, and Remus flinched, glancing up at the sky just before a heavy downpour started.

James chuckled at the piteous look that Remus gave him before standing up and casting a Drying Charm on himself. "You can stay here and wait for Siri to clean up from the practice," he said. "I'm going to head into the library and see if I can finish this Transfigurations thing before class tomorrow morning," he added.

"James," Remus whined, and James turned around to once again face his friend. He had to bite back a laugh at how similar Remus looked to a wet dog.

"Is there something that I can help you with, Remy?" he asked, biting the inside of his cheek to stop the laughter that was slowly escaping anyway.

Remus stared up at him with a look that feigned innocence. "Carry me inside," he said. James opened his mouth to retort, but Remus smirked rather suddenly. "If you don't, I'll make sure that Siri latches onto you right after his next Quidditch practice, without letting him shower."

"That's just cruel, Remy," James said as he picked the werewolf up and gave him a piggyback ride up to the Gryffindor Tower, sharing a Warming Charm with him and ignoring the way that he drifted off on the way up there. The full moon had been only a few days ago, so it wasn't too unexpected that he was still exhausted.

The rain poured down for days as James contemplated how exactly to cut Lucius off, when even the mere thought of doing so caused him an incredibly painful heartache.

It took him all the time that Dumbledore had first offered him, and yet he could still think of no way to cut Lucius out of his life entirely. He had only known the Prince of Slytherin on such an intimate basis for a short spans of time, but he'd already grown almost dangerously attached to him.

Each morning, he found a note at his seat with the same things that Dumbledore had parroted at him since he'd first found out that James was spending so much time with Lucius.

So on Thursday morning, James found a note at his spot, looking almost identical to the notes that had been waiting for him at his seat before every meal he attended. At least, it started out the same. The ending of the note had a certain foreboding aspect to it, and while he could not exactly pinpoint his feelings of uneasiness, James knew that it meant nothing good.

_James, my boy,_

_The young Mister Malfoy will only drag you into Dark magic, and you will suffer a fate that you do not deserve. _

_I have given you far more time than necessary to inform this Mister Malfoy that you are unable to speak with him any further. It appears that you refuse to realize that I am only acting with your best interests at heart, so I will now be forced to take more drastic measures to ensure that you are not corrupted by those will ill-conceived plans of pulling you down with them._

_Expect to have these drastic measures explained to you within a short time, and try to accept it that you are going to sever your connection with young Mister Malfoy regardless of your emotions on this matter. The young are far too often ruled by their feelings, and because of that, you are unable to see the bigger picture, and your upcoming role in that picture._

As usual, the note was unsigned.

James bit back a sigh and tapped the note with the tip of his wand, setting it on fire.

Dumbledore looked pointedly at him from his spot at the Head Table, though James just glared at him before deliberately turning his back on the Headmaster and ignoring him for the rest of the meal.


	44. I can hardly wait

**044. I can hardly wait**

Word Count: 957

* * *

Professor McGonagall caught sight of James just as he was making himself comfortable on a chair in the Common Room after returning from his supposed trip to the library. Remus Lupin was a good liar, but it was clear that there was something that James was trying to hide from everyone.

"James," she said with a gentle smile. The boy had become incredibly withdrawn as of late, and while it was nice not to have to deal with his sarcastic comments in class or wonder what he and Sirius Black were conspiring over in some innocent-looking corner, seeing the boy rarely speak to anyone other than Remus Lupin was starting to become rather unnerving.

"Yes Professor?" he asked, sounding almost unsure of himself. He set his quill down on his parchment and looked up at her.

She sighed, not wanting to see the glimmer of distress shining in James' brown eyes. "Come with me. The Headmaster wishes to speak with you in his office right away," she said finally.

James nodded and stood, packing the parchment and quills back into his schoolbag and following Minerva out to the Headmaster's office.

When he arrived, James was more than slightly surprised to see his father sitting in the chair across from Dumbledore, who was watching James with the same infernal twinkling in his eyes. "Father, what are you doing here?" he asked, pulling his bag closer to him as though he was trying to hide something from the man.

"I have some excellent news for you, James, and the Headmaster has agreed to support me in this."

"In what, sir?" James asked, ignoring the sinking feeling in his stomach.

"I have entered into arrangements with Headmaster Dumbledore, and we have come to the agreement that you will be wed to Miss Lily Evans over the spring holidays," his father said with a smile. "I have already spoken with Miss Lily Evans and she is on her way up here to speak with us about the finer parts of the arrangement."

James bit back a frown. "Father, Miss Evans and I do not get along well. She is far too improper for my taste," he said.

"You will grow to deal with that as you mature, or so I hope," James' father said quietly, his undertone warning James what the consequences of refusing this new development might be. "Miss Lily Evans is a powerful witch and she will do well as a spouse for you."

"She's a Mudblood, father," James said. "She will dilute the power of the Potter line, and there have been no Mudbloods in the family line for the past eight centuries."

Dumbledore cleared his throat softly and stepped in at this statement with an uncharacteristically cold look in his eyes. "Lord Potter, you will have to excuse James' behavior. I fear he has been spending too much time with a young man by the name of Lucius Malfoy, and it has undoubtedly affected your son in a negative manner," he said, looking over at James patronizingly.

James' father stood and straightened himself, smirking slightly at the way that James warily eyed him. "I see," he said before turning to his son. "I want you to inform this Mister Malfoy that you are unable to see him any longer, and I want you to do that as soon as possible. I will not risk having the Potter reputation tainted by your foolish association with the Malfoy family." His tone left absolutely no room for argument, and James knew better than to try to say anything at this point, despite how loudly he was mentally screaming at the man he had come to despise in only a short time.

He opened his mouth to respond, but before he had the chance to say anything, the door to the Headmaster's office opened and Lily Evans all but pranced in, looking around curiously. When both the Headmaster and James' father smiled at her and the Headmaster nodded silently, Lily launched herself onto James, who remained staring straight ahead and biting his tongue so hard that it bled. He did not want the young woman to touch him in the first place, and now he had his father and the Headmaster on Lily's side, making it impossible to object without risking physical abuse or disownment from his family.

"Your father spoke with my mother and organized everything with her. You and I are going to be married over the spring holidays, James!" she squealed happily, ignoring the way that James winced when she spoke. "Isn't it amazing?"

James planned on remaining silent as long as possible, but when his father sent him a warning glare, he sighed a bit. "I can hardly wait," he bit out, ignoring the fact that he could taste the blood welling up in his mouth from biting his tongue too hard.

"Miss Lily, my son is going to be hesitant about this going public," James' father said. "I would hope that you could be understanding while easing the rest of the student population into the idea. It is common enough, though normally families would wait until the family Heir has graduated from school."

Lily nodded. "I will not make a big deal about it while others are present," she promised as she wrapped her arms around James' chest, doing her best to prompt him into hugging her.


	45. It was a scorching hot Christmas

**045. It was a scorching hot Christmas**

Word Count: 967

* * *

James slipped into the Slytherin house, intent on making his way into Lucius' dorm room. He almost made it, but Severus grabbed him by his upper arm just as he put his hand on the doorknob.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he growled. "This is not exactly the kind of place where you can waltz into and expect to get away with whatever you want," he said.

James adopted a loose smirk. "I came to see if there was anything I could do for you," he purred. "I might even be persuaded to go down on you while you do your research, if you'd like. It can be our little secret," he said, winking at the Slytherin.

Severus bared his teeth at James in a loose interpretation of a smile. "Potter, I will tell you this once," he said, backing James up against the wall. "If you ever proposition me again, or wink at me again, I will remove the piece of anatomy that biologically defines you as male."

James stiffened, watching Severus warily. "Of course," he said stiffly. "Great. Awesome talk we had," he said. "Is Lucius in at the moment?"

"He's in there, reading," Severus replied, releasing James' arm and slapping James' cheek lightly. "Have fun," he said patronizingly before walking out of the Slytherin house.

James hesitated a moment before slipping into Lucius' dorm room.

Lucius was sitting on his bed, apparently completely engrossed in the book he was reading. "I didn't expect you to come tonight," he said, not looking up from his book.

"Lucius?" James asked as he sauntered over to Lucius and dropped into the Slytherin's lap, ignoring the look that Lucius sent him in return.

"James, is it really necessary to sit on my book while I am in the middle of reading it?" he asked, yanking the book out from underneath James.

"That depends," James said with a lecherous grin. "What kind of book is it that you're reading?" he asked, snatching the book from Lucius' hold. He looked at the cover and frowned when he realized that it wasn't a book written in English. "What language is this thing written in?" he asked.

"It is an Arabic book, James," Lucius said with a smirk, taking the book from James and setting it on the nightstand. "So one might understand if the author penned the book in Arabic."

"Ha bloody ha." James frowned again as he looked back over at the book. "How long have you been able to read Arabic?"

"Since I was nine years old," Lucius replied. "Was there something on your mind?" he asked.

Plenty of things, James thought to himself. "Nothing in particular at the moment," he said, offering his mate an easy smile.

A calm moment settled over the two of them as Lucius shifted a bit so that he and James were more comfortable on the bed together, though it didn't last too long.

"Have you ever been to any of the Caribbean islands?" James asked suddenly.

Lucius nodded. "My grandfather took my mother and myself to the Bahamas when my father was tied up in a legal battle. As I remember, it was a scorching hot Christmas," he said. "Why do you ask?" he asked.

"I've got my own savings account from my family," James said quietly. "And Sirius has been thinking about taking Remus out to the islands after graduation," he said. "He took me out to one of the islands there, and I started thinking about buying one of the private islands."

"Why?" Lucius asked, smirking as he started to unbutton James' shirt.

James grinned lecherously and pushed Lucius back to lay on the bed while the Slytherin continued to unbutton James' shirt. "Just imagine, a secret retreat just for the two of us. We can go there whenever we want, lay out on the beach, lose any possible tan lines that we might have," he said, lazily kissing Lucius as the man tugged his shirt down. "Watching the mermaids, ignoring the rest of the world, and acting out every pose of the Kama Sutra."

"Are you drunk?" Lucius asked, smirking as James completely pulled his shirt off.

"Not at the moment," he said, sitting up a bit. "Why? Are you offering?"

Lucius said nothing.

"You don't like the tropics, then?" James asked.

"This is going to sound incredibly gay, but my complexion does not do well in that sort of climate. When I first visited, I spent fifteen minutes outside and came back in looking like a blonde lobster," Lucius said. "And don't you dare laugh at that."

James grinned, though he did his best to hide his amusement when Lucius glared at him. He sat up a bit, looking down at Lucius and hesitating a moment.

"Is something the matter?" Lucius asked, watching James as the Gryffindor watched him.

"Not at the moment," James replied.

"Good," Lucius said as he grabbed James by the waist and flipped them over so that James was underneath him. "Now I'm going to ignore the fact that there is something on your mind that you're deliberately hiding from me," he purred, "and you are going to devote all your attention to me for the remainder of the evening."

James grinned. "But of course," he said.


	46. We'll make it fly

**046. We'll make it fly**

Word Count: 1,146

* * *

Lucius settled into his bed in his dorm-room, feeling decidedly alone under the covers. James had started occupying the Slytherin dorm room with him on a regular basis, and he had expected James to join him this evening.

Sirius Black, the ever-insufferable pest, had managed to pull the Potter heir back to the Gryffindor Tower with a half-assed claim of feeling neglected by his supposed best friend.

"You're pathetic," Lucius muttered to himself, shifting a bit under the covers. "One night alone and you're brooding."

"I thought Malfoys didn't brood," Severus said lightly as he emerged from the bathroom.

"We don't," Lucius growled irritably. "I thought you didn't have any spare time to waste on frivolities."

Severus shrugged. "I occasionally find a need to clean the potions ingredients off of my skin," he said. "And I am meeting with the Council that will decide whether or not I am to be certified as a Potions Master in one week's time." He looked over at Lucius. "I'm going to be checking over my research again, so I might suggest you cast a Sleeping Charm on yourself. I'll wake you up in time for breakfast."

Lucius nodded, watching Severus gather his information before taking his fellow Slytherin's advice and casting a Sleeping Charm on himself.

_A thunderous noise sounded as soon as he'd completely fallen asleep, which was odd, considering that most people did not dream when they succumbed to a Sleeping Charm. _

_He noticed movement off to the left and was, for a moment, unable to comprehend what he saw. It was a slightly older version of himself, sitting on the ground next to a slightly older James. The two were talking between themselves, all while watching off to their left._

_A young boy was toying with a mechanical contraption, while Sirius Black was speaking quietly to him, pointing at various parts of the contraption._

_"He's seven years old," the Lucius-form said quietly to James._

_"What's your point?" James asked, snatching the strawberry that Lucius had just picked up and popping it into his mouth before lighting a cigarette._

_"My point is, James, that the last time we let Black teach our son about something, Harry somehow managed to burn off both his and the parasite's eyebrows," Lucius said, plucking the cigarette from his mate's fingers._

_"I was going to smoke that," James muttered._

_"I suppose you ought to have thought about that before you stole my strawberry, then," Lucius said with a smirk before turning his attention onto the mechanical contraption as Sirius set the boy - Harry, Lucius supposed - onto what looked to be the seat of the thing._

_"What else can we make the motorcycle do, Siri?" the boy asked._

_Sirius grinned, a smile that was matched by the young boy. "What else do you want to make the motorcycle do, kiddo?" he asked._

_"Can we make it fly?"_

_That question had both dream-Lucius and dream-James at full attention._

_"You're not going to ride on a flying motorcycle until you're older," James called. "So don't even think about it."_

_Lucius glanced over at him. "Did something happen the last time he was on that contraption?" he asked._

_"Harry broke both his legs," James muttered, grabbing Lucius' arm and pulling him back down to the ground as he tried to get up to beat Sirius. "Remus has been keeping Siri on a short leash since then, though."_

_Sirius looked over at James and Lucius. "He won't get hurt again, I promise."_

_Lucius growled. "If he has so much as a scratch on him, Black, I will break any appendage of yours that I can get my hands on, regardless of what James or Lupin have to say about it," he snapped._

_Sirius paled rather incredibly, but nodded. He turned back to the boy, who was watching him with an expectant look on his face._

_"Can we make the motorcycle fly, Siri?" Harry asked._

_"Sure, kiddo," Sirius said with a grin. "We'll make it fly."_

_James stood up suddenly, pulling Lucius with him. "While you and Harry mess around with that thing, Lucy and I are going to be inside, plotting your doom should you harm our son or doing something else that requires us to be left alone," he said._

_"A private moment, then?" Lucius murmured, draping an arm over James' shoulders._

_Harry turned to his two fathers. "Can you make a little brother for me, not a little sister?" he asked with a grin._

_Lucius just smirked as James stared at their son in shock. "I'll do what I can, Harry, but James has mentioned wanting a baby girl," he said, kissing James' cheek._

_Both Harry and Sirius immediately burst out laughing, with Harry nearly falling off the motorcycle in his mirth. _

_James just flushed a brilliant red and glared at his mate. "I don't suppose you could have kept that to yourself, oh dear mate of mine," he said in a sickly sweet voice._

_Lucius remained silent, though his eyes glinted in amusement._

_The thunder sounded again and Lucius fell into a dreamless sleep._

A hand shaking his shoulders took Lucius by surprise and he jolted awake. "What in the hell is wrong with you?" he snarled, grabbing the hand shaking his shoulder and dragging it down so he was face to face with his assailant without having to move.

It was Severus, with a decidedly irate expression on his face as he wrenched his arm out of Lucius' hold. "It's time for breakfast, you idiot," he snapped. "And try to remember that manhandling me like that might eventually end up with you being on the receiving end of a vial of acid."

Lucius sat up and stretched. "You are clearly not a morning person," he muttered. "Would you like me to bring back anything for you?"

Severus shook his head. "I'll be alright," he said. "But thanks."

Lucius nodded and headed into the bathroom.


	47. Picking berries from the bush

**047. Picking berries from the bush**

Word Count: 884

* * *

"James," Lucius said as he took a seat next to the Gryffindor. He glanced around the library to make sure that none of the few other students were paying the two of them any undue attention before speaking again. "I need to talk to you."

James didn't look up from the essay that he was writing. "It can't wait like half an hour?" he asked. "If I don't finish this essay before Remy gets out of class, he's going to kick my ass."

"It can wait until after dinner, even, as long as it's kept private," he said, quickly glancing over what James had already written. It didn't look too bad, for a Transfigurations essay.

Setting his quill down, James looked over at Lucius. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing that cannot wait," Lucius said. "Did you honestly misspell the word 'transfiguration'?" he asked.

James grinned slyly and stretched languidly. "I misspelled it each time I used it in the essay," he said.

Lucius leaned over to inspect the essay more closely. "And you misspelled it differently each time? Am I to assume that Lupin is going to be reviewing this for you?"

"I can only hope so," James said. "If you need privacy, we'll be able to find it up at the Shrieking Shack, but I don't know for how long." He glanced over at the doorway and his eyes narrowed, but he turned his attention back to Lucius. "Or we could rent a room down in Hogsmeade and scare the shit out of people by not coming back for a few days."

"As pleasant as that idea sounds, I would like to discuss something rather significant with you," Lucius said. He stood up, quickly kissing James' temple as he straightened his robes. "Meet me outside the Shack tonight."

James nodded. "Can you be there at eleven, or is that too risky?" he asked.

Lucius smirked. "There is a risk in everything, James. It's a matter of whether or not the prize at the end is worth it," he said quietly. "I'll be there at eleven."

"Don't be late."

"I believe that privilege is reserved for you," Lucius said before walking out of the library.

James watched the doorway for a moment longer before returning his focus onto the essay in front of him.

That night, at half past eleven, Lucius had made himself comfortable in the shadows by the front door of the Shrieking Shack. He had gotten bored quickly and had resorted to picking berries from the bush that was shielding him from sight.

"If you plan on making a pie with those, you should know that they cause explosive diarrhea," Severus said dryly as he walked up to Lucius.

"How the hell did you find me?" he snapped.

Severus said nothing, instead choosing to offer Lucius a hand to stand up.

"Sev?"

"A few minutes after you snuck out for your rendezvous with Potter, I left as well, and in the hallway, Remus approached me," he said, walking with Lucius back toward the passage to Hogwarts. "He wanted to pass on a message from James."

"Where is he?"

"I would assume he made it back to the Gryffindor hovel and right now he's probably writhing under the beast," Severus muttered darkly.

Lucius smirked. "This is new," he said.

"What is?"

"Your attraction to Lupin," Lucius said, smirking slightly. "Tell me, did your infatuation exist before he started helping you with your proposal, or has it always been there?" he asked.

Severus glared at Lucius, saying nothing. A slight tinge of pink on his face, though, betrayed his anger.

Lucius' smirk just grew. "For the record, I was asking about James' location," he said, draping an arm over Severus' shoulders. "Your infatuation with Lupin will stay between us."

"For what price?" Severus asked, deliberately moving out of Lucius' hold.

Lucius shrugged. "Just tell me where James is and why he did not show up here," he said.

"According to Remus, Dumbledore showed up in the Gryffindor Common Room at half past ten tonight," Severus started. "He talked to a few of the first years about something for a few minutes, but then he went up to the dorm room that Remus and Sirius share with James. He apparently almost needed to resort to stunning James just to get him to go with him."

"And?" Lucius asked.

Severus shrugged. "No one's sure. The most reasonable assumption is that Dumbledore took James up to his office, but there's been nothing confirmed," he said. "From what Remus said, it sounds like not even McGonagall knows what happened."

Lucius paused, thinking back to James' behavior in the library earlier that day, and frowned.

"What?" Severus asked.

Lucius hesitated. "Nothing," he said. "Don't worry about it."


	48. We used to sneak into the

**048. We used to sneak into the neighbor's garden**

Word Count: 1,114

* * *

"James, I realize that this seems a tad extreme," Geoffrey said as he glared at his son, who did not hesitate to return the furious look with one of his own.

James bared his teeth at his father. "I have class in the morning, and I still have homework to finish for that class."

"Then perhaps you should have thought about your academic duties before you deliberately ignored my instructions about severing all ties with the Malfoy family," Geoffrey snapped. He flicked his wand at his son again and James bit back a groan. "You ought to consider yourself lucky, anyway."

James let his head drop onto his chest and did his best to ignore the waves of pain coursing through his body. Unforgivable curse be damned, if his father wanted to cause pain, he did so with the most legal and archaic ways that he could find. "Why would I be lucky?" he asked, noticing the tangy copper taste in his mouth as he spoke.

"When I was a child, my father chose to punish me in much more medieval ways," Geoffrey said. "He would whip me with the nine tailed cat if I ever acted in a way that he found unbecoming of the future Lord of the Potter Estate."

He flicked his wand and murmured something, and the pain ceased, though James was sure it was just a momentary lapse. James glanced up at his father, though he didn't try to lift his head. At the moment, he was doing his best to stop from spitting out the blood welling up in his mouth.

Geoffrey summoned a chair from across the room and took a seat, completely ignoring his son as James winced and swallowed the blood in his mouth. "When I was eight years old, I spent quite a bit of time with a boy, Tyler Harris, who my father heartily disapproved of." He looked over at his son, who was starting to struggle against the Binding Spell keeping him restrained in the chair. "Look at me when I'm speaking to you, boy," he said.

"Right," James muttered, doing as he was told.

"Anyway, we used to sneak into the neighbor's garden, Tyler and I," Geoffrey continued. "My father caught us one day sneaking back and he beat me near to death while Tyler watched."

"Fascinating," James snapped irritably. "Was there a point to that?" he asked, glaring at his father.

Geoffrey frowned and cleared his throat. "The point, James, was this: you may be feeling like I am treating you cruelly, but things could have turned out much worse for you," he said, flicking his wand at James.

The waves of pain came back, though this time they were accompanied by the intense feeling that his blood was boiling inside his veins. He groaned and bit clean through his bottom lip in pain. "Make it stop," he groaned after a while.

"I need your word before that will happen," Geoffrey said conversationally, as though his son hadn't started bleeding profusely.

James growled a bit.

"I want your word that you will sever all ties with this Lucius Malfoy character," Geoffrey said. "Give me your word that you will do so, and this pain will end," he said calmly.

Silence fell into the room and Geoffrey watched as James started struggling with himself about what to do. Five tense minutes passed, and Geoffrey was quickly getting fed up with his son's determined silence.

"I am waiting for an answer, James," Geoffrey said. With a frown, he flicked his wrist at James and leaned back in his chair.

The pain intensified to the point where James thought that, had his father not taken the necessary steps before this torture session had started, he would have passed out. His heart rate decreased, but the burning sensation in his veins increased exponentially.

"Give me an answer, James, and I will take away the pain."

James spat out a mouthful of blood, ignoring the sensation of his lower lip slowly detatching from the rest of his mouth, and glared at his father.

"If you cannot speak without further injuring yourself, then you may nod your agreement."

A rebellious spark flashed in James' eyes before his father flicked his wand and the pain increased yet again. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and his vision went black. He started nodding his head as much as he could, spitting out blood and only halfway understandable sounds of agreement.

Geoffrey smirked and waved his wand for a final time, effectively stopping the influx of new pain and cancelling out the binding spell.

James collapsed onto the carpeted floor in front of him, still reeling from the pain.

Geoffrey knelt down next to James and started to heal him. "Keep in mind that you agreed to sever all ties with the Malfoy Heir," he said as soon as he was sure that James wasn't going to pass out. "If I find out that you have not done that within two week's time, I will bring you back here and it is highly likely that you will not return unscathed from that encounter. Am I understood?"

James was silent for a long moment, still silently rebelling against his father. He stared at the floor and mentally checked that all his body parts were where they belonged. Eight and a half minutes later, he cleared his throat and spat out the last of the blood in his mouth onto his father's robes. "I have class in the morning," he said quietly.

"Then you may take the Portkey and return to Hogwarts, but keep in mind what i have said," Geoffrey said.

Without looking at his father, James pulled himself to his feet and limped to the door. He walked out of the room, made his way down the hall, ignoring his mother as he passed her, and grabbed the Portkey.

"James?" his mother asked as she walked into the hall. "Why are you home from school at this time of night?"

"Ask your husband," James growled before snapping the word that activated the Portkey that sent him back to the Headmaster's office.


	49. She had suntanned skin

**049. She had suntanned skin**

Word Count: 1,130

* * *

"James?" Remus asked as he approached the unusually quiet Gryffindor. "James, I was hoping that I could introduce you to someone," he said.

James looked up at him, grinning silently.

Remus hesitated, glad to see that James was momentarily back to his old self, but slightly worried about what that might inspire. He glanced down at the parchment in front of James and immediately flushed bright red. "Is that -"

"You, yeah," James said with a lecherous grin. "And Siri. Going at it like there's no tomorrow."

Remus flushed a bit brighter as he heard footsteps behind him and felt Sirius drape his arms over his shoulders.

"Jimmy," Sirius said with a grin, laughing when he saw the picture. "Is that -"

"Us," Remus said tightly.

"In the Quidditch locker room," James and Sirius said simultaneously before laughing.

"I know a spell that can animate that drawing," Sirius said, half-expecting the slap that Remus delivered to the back of his head.

Remus growled a bit, though he had adopted a smile through his blush. "As I was trying to say, I want to introduce you to someone," he said. "She's meeting us down in the Three Broomsticks, and since it is a Hogsmeade weekend, I was hoping we could head off to meet her."

Sirius grinned. "You're matchmaking for Jim now?" he asked.

James' face paled a bit and he looked at Remus oddly, but the werewolf quickly shook his head.

"Nothing of the sort, you mutt," Remus said, kissing Sirius on the cheek. He extended his hand and James took it, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet. "I didn't think you'd want to take a job at the Ministry after graduation, so I got into contact with a few of my more canine relatives," he said. "A long lost cousin of mine managed to find a woman who is always looking for someone qualified to help her," he said. "I Owled her, telling her about you, and she wants to meet you."

Sirius hopped onto Remus' back in an impromptu piggy-back ride, ignoring the muttered curses he got in return. "Is this the woman you were talking about?" he asked curiously. "Katy, or something?"

"Keira," Remus corrected.

The three of them nodded to a few of the other students they passed as they made their way down to the Three Broomsticks, and soon enough they found themselves in one of the booths near the entrance, face to face with a young woman who appeared to be in her late twenties.

She had suntanned skin and waist length black hair, with dark blue eyes, and she seemed friendly enough. After all, it wasn't every day that near perfect strangers were able to hug Remus on their first meeting.

"Thanks for coming," he said. "This is the friend of mine I was talking about, James. James, this is Keira." He looked over at Sirius. "Care to join me in the Shrieking Shack to allow Jim some privacy?"

Sirius grinned lecherously and pulled Remus over his shoulder, ignoring the decidedly unmanly shriek the werewolf let out. "You seem to have things well under control here, Jimmy," he said with a wink.

James laughed quietly.

"Before we go, James, you will give me that damn drawing," Remus snapped over Sirius' shoulder.

"Drawing?" Keira asked with a slight smile.

Remus again flushed a bright red, but he said nothing as James handed the crudely drawn picture to Sirius, who grinned. "I'll be sure to offer you ample opportunity to draw some more of these," he said before Remus slapped him upside the head.

"Either fuck me in the Shack or put me down," Remus snapped.

"You know, for someone who prides himself on being calm, you're awful bitchy when you're horny."

"And for someone who's hoping to get lucky, you're certainly taking your time," Remus snapped.

Sirius straightened, shoving the picture into his pocket. "See you later, Jim," he said before running out to the Shrieking Shack.

James hesitated a moment before turning to face Keira. "How do you know Remy?" he asked, taking a seat across from the woman.

"Friend of a friend," she replied. "I'm not a werewolf, if that's what you're asking. I don't want to seem rude, but I don't have that much time and I want to get right to the point."

James nodded. "Feel free."

"I work in a place back in Romania, rehabilitating abused familiars from around the world," she said. "It's tragic, it's woefully underreported, but it happens. I bring the animals back to full health and then, if they are able and willing to give wizards another chance, I can find them a second home. If you want to give it a shot, I can always have some help."

"It sounds like something I could get behind," he said. "But I can't make any promises," he added.

Keira nodded, saying nothing. A soft chime sounded from a pendant around her neck and she immediately stood up. "I have to get back, but if you want to come up and try the job out, ask Remus how to reach me."

James nodded and stood up as well. "It was nice to meet you, even briefly," he said.

She nodded, smiling a bit. "I look forward to hearing from you," she said before Apparating away.

A moment passed and James found himself staring at the spot where Keira had disappeared from.

A slight cough sounded from his side and he jumped. "Shouldn't you be doting on your mate rather than meeting with strange women?" Severus asked with a smirk.

"It was just an informal job interview, Sevvie-poo, nothing to worry about," James said with a grin. "What are you doing out when the sun is still shining, anyway?"

Severus shuddered impressively. "First of all, Potter, never call me that again. Second, Lucius forced me away from my work so that I could get some fresh air to calm my apparently overly stressed nerves," he said with a sour expression on his face. "Now, since you have decided to ruin what would have otherwise been an uncomplicated afternoon, you will treat me to a Butterbeer," he said.


	50. What on earth are you talking about?

**050. What on earth are you talking about?**

Word Count: 1,157

* * *

Remus and Sirius sat down next to James at the breakfast table after the morning Owl post. They nodded to James, both of them filling their plates with enough food to feed four students.

James had received three letters in the post that morning: one from Lucius, describing in deliciously obscene detail what he planned to do to James that night, and one from his father and one from the Headmaster, both of which instructed him to sever all ties with Lucius and start making nice with Lily Evans - neither of which James was at all eager to do.

His father's letter was laced with somewhat expected threats of yet another session of long-abandoned torture methods, and the vague mention of disownment if James at all managed to dirty the Potter family name.

The Headmaster's letter, however, had a few more tangible threats - namely the threat of expulsion for both James and Lucius if they did not immediately break contact. The threat was enough to simultaneously infuriate and terrify James. Dumbledore had interfered one time too many when he had forced James into terminating his first pregnancy, which was one time too many, and he had not been able to work up enough courage to tell Lucius about that encounter.

However, Lucius' expulsion was not something that he wanted to even consider in a hypothetical aspect.

As he realized what he was deciding to do, he felt a part of himself break apart.

He felt Sirius nudge his shoulder and he looked over at the disowned Black, thinking not for the first time that he would be able to handle losing his last name if it meant he could be with the man that he loved.

"You're not eating, Jim," Sirius said with a mouthful of croissant and scrambled eggs. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Maybe he's just sick of looking at you inhale your food like a barbarian," Remus said, taking a bite of a sausage.

James offered the two a weak smile, grabbed a pear, and headed out of the Great Hall. "I'll see you in class," he said, slapping Sirius lightly upside the head as he passed him.

...

After the classes had ended for the day and Remus had successfully managed to pull Sirius away from James, ending the interrogation that had started during their shared Transfigurations class.

"Are you alright, Jim? Are you sure you don't need any help, Jimmy? Is someone messing with you? Do you need me to fix anyone for you? Is Lily being a bitch again, Jimmy?"

It had been nonstop, until Remus had kindly reminded Sirius that he had three essays that were due tomorrow.

He'd arrived in the Astrology Tower, which had thankfully been unoccupied, and he had been pacing back and forth nonstop since then.

Immediately after his classes has ended, he had been called up to the Headmaster's office, where Dumbledore had been uncharacteristically frank with his threats against both James and Lucius. His father's owl had arrived while he was speaking with Dumbledore, and it had contained a letter that contained James' father's unconditional agreement with whatever Dumbledore had to say, which had only further darkened the Gryffindor's mood.

When he heard the soft echo of footsteps coming up the stairs and into the Tower, James' heart started racing and he started looking around for some kid of escape that did not involve plunging to almost certain death off the edge of the tower. By the time he realized that he was cornered, it was too late and James found himself standing in front of a concerned Lucius.

"Something is wrong," Lucius murmured, cupping James' cheek and pulling the shorter man close to him. "What irritates me is that, whatever I did, you chose to be petty and ignore me for the day rather than speaking to me about it."

James said nothing, closing his eyes briefly. "I promise you, Luc, that the problem I'm dealing with does not directly involve you."

"But it does involve me," Lucius said. "James, please, talk to me."

James again closed his eyes, unable to fight the urge to lean into Lucius' touch. As he hesitated, though, the Headmaster's threats echoed in his mind, and he pulled himself away from Lucius, taking a step away from the Slytherin in an effort to stop himself from returning to the embrace. He took a deep breath and stared down at the floor. "I don't want you to come near me again," he muttered, forcing himself to believe the words as he forced himself to speak them.

Lucius, who had reached out his hand to touch James again, jolted his hand back as if he had been burned. "What on earth are you talking about?" he asked. He took a half step forward, but James backed away from him. "James?"

"I don't want to see you, and I don't want to talk to you. I don't want to have to acknowledge the fact that you exist anymore," James said, biting back the tears threatening to spill forth as he saw the look of utter heartbreak on his mate's face.

"James," Lucius started, but James turned away.

"Just leave me the hell alone," James snapped, shoving past Lucius and retreating back to the Gryffindor Tower.

When he walked into his dorm room, James immediately sought out Remus, who was in his bed, reading a book that he'd picked up from the library earlier. Without question, the werewolf said nothing and set the book on his nightstand, motioning for James to approach him.

As soon as James collapsed against him in exhaustion and sorrow, Remus pulled him into an unquestioning embrace and spelled the curtains around his bed shut, protecting the two of them from prying eyes.

"Dare I ask what the Headmaster did this time?" Remus asked after a long moment.

James hesitated, but looked up at the werewolf, angrily brushing his silent tears off his face. "I am going to be taking Evans as my wife, whether I want to or not, and I will not be forgiven by anyone if I besmirch the Potter family name in even the slightest manner," he said rather despondently.

Remus frowned, but pulled James back into his embrace. "I won't let anyone get to you tonight," he said quietly.

James nodded into Remus' shoulder and said nothing else, eventually crying himself to sleep.


	51. Say a prayer for me

**051. Say a prayer for me**

Word Count: 911

* * *

Severus paced back and forth in his dorm room, doing his best to ignore his room mate and keep himself calm enough. He was meeting with the Council in an hour, and he was growing increasingly more nervous. Of course, Lucius' silent brooding was getting more and more noticeable.

When Lucius pulled a bottle of absinthe from underneath his pillow, though, he drew the line. Just as the Malfoy heir opened the bottle, Severus snatched it away from him and threw it across the room. Lucius watched it shatter with a forlorn expression on his face. "I was going to drink that, you know," he groused.

"I thought Malfoys didn't drink," Severus snapped. "Now, I know you're not sulking, since that is something else that Malfoys don't do."

"Fuck off, Sev," Lucius snapped, baring his teeth at Severus. "I can't deal with this."

Severus smirked a bit before grabbing the bag that had all his research in it. "Drinking yourself into a stupor is not going to change what happened to you, and it isn't going to make you feel any better either," he said, grabbing the second bottle - this one vodka - from underneath Lucius' pillow.

"That's mine," Lucius said petulantly, grabbing for the bottle as Severus tucked it into his bag. "Give it back."

Severus stood right in front of Lucius and crossed his arms. "How much have you had to drink already?" he asked.

"Not enough to deal with you," Lucius muttered.

Severus sighed, exasperated. "You know, I had plenty to deal with this evening, what with the Council and all, without you contributing to it with your idiotic delinquency," he snapped, suppressing the urge to slap the Malfoy.

The door slammed open and Slughorn burst into the room. "Snape, get your things together," he snarled.

Lucius looked up at their Head of House and then over at Severus. "What's he doing here, Sev?" he asked.

"If you get a moment of sobriety tonight, say a prayer for me, won't you?" the hopeful Potions Master asked. "Since I am underage, the Headmaster has decided that I need an escort."

Slughorn growled. "Enough of this sentimental bullshit, boy," he snapped. "I don't plan on being out too late tonight."

Severus nodded, looking about as eager to go with the man as a cow to the slaughterhouse. "Lead on, Professor," he said with a cold smile. "I would hate to intrude on your schedule any more than necessary."

Lucius watched the student follow their Head of House of the Slytherin chambers. When the door shut behind the two, he pulled another bottle of vodka from it's hiding place and opened it. He took a swig, immediately wondering why his father praised the drink so much. That thought, of course, did not stop him from taking another swig, and then another.

...

Three hours later, around one in the morning, Severus walked back into the room. An uncharacteristic smile lit up his face as he dropped his research bag onto his bed, but as soon as he noticed the state of his room-mate, his elation dissipated.

Lucius was sitting on the floor next to his bed, surrounded by half a dozen empty bottles of liquor. His hair was mussed, his nose was bloody, and there was a large bruise on the right side of his face. There were also signs that he had been crying, but Severus knew better than to mention that fact.

He groaned and immediately set about cleaning his friend up.

"Sev'rus?" Lucius slurred, wrapping his arms around the smaller Slytherin's shoulders as Severus tried to pick him up. "Sev'rus, you came back."

"I hadn't planned on leaving you, but if I had known that you'd look like this, I would have highly considered it," Severus muttered, dropping the older boy into his bed and pulling the quilt overtop of him. "How many bottles have you emptied?"

""Bout twelve, I think," he said.

"Good Lord, Luc, you ought to be dead right now," Severus said.

Lucius smiled sadly. "I tried," he said. "I kept doing it wrong."

"That wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear," Severus replied. "If you promise not to die in your sleep, I'll give you the most powerful Hangover potion I have when you wake up."

Lucius nodded and pulled the blanket up to his chin.

Severus sighed and cleaned up the bottles, absently wondering if Lucius' father would miss the small fortune of liquor that his son had likely stolen from his collection.

"Sev'rus?" Lucius asked quietly as Severus crawled into his own bed and pulled a blanket over himself.

"What is it, Malfoy?" he asked.

"I wasn't sober, but I prayed for you. I don't know if anyone heard, but I prayed. Did it work?" he asked.

Severus stayed silent as he extinguished the light in the room. "Yeah," he said, though he could have sworn he heard snores coming from Lucius' bed. "It worked."


	52. He came from the north

**052. He came from the north**

Word Count: 1,137

* * *

James had just made himself comfortable in an alcove in the Astronomy Tower and was doing his best to keep his mind off of anything and everything that had to do with Lucius Malfoy. Of course, his choice in locations was not the wisest, as less than one hundred feet from where he sat was the place that he had sent Lucius away. He leaned his head back against the cold concrete and closed his eyes.

He didn't know how long he'd been there when he heard soft footsteps approaching the Tower.

"James?"

That was new. Peter had been disappearing more and more often, and it was rare that he actively sought out James - most of the time he went to Remus, and even then it depended on how serious his problem was. Most of the time, he kept his issues to himself.

"James?" Peter asked again. "Remus said you might be up here."

James stayed silent, not sure what the rat wanted from him. He opened his eyes and watched as Pettigrew came to a stop in the middle of the room. He reached down and touched his wand, which he'd slipped into his boot after first getting settled in the alcove.

"Remus told me that I needed to come talk to you," Peter said. "He told me I wouldn't be allowed back in the dorm room until I talked to you."

"And how would Remus know whether or not you actually talked to me?" James asked quietly.

Peter shrugged. He walked back to the door of the Tower and locked it shut. "Sirius threatened to wait until I was in my Animagus form, track me down and eat me whole if I tried to lie my way back into the room. He's crazy enough that he'd actually do it," he said, shuddering a bit.

"Surely you aren't saying that a dog would be able to hunt down a rat," James said with a smirk, still not moving from his spot, though he'd figured that, by now, Peter knew where he was sitting. "What did Remus want you to tell me? I trust it was important," he muttered as Peter leaned against the door and sat on the floor of the Tower.

Peter just shrugged again. "There's a letter from some anonymous source waiting for you on your nightstand," he said after a minute. "It arrived about an hour ago."

"Where's it from?" James asked.

"The owl was covered in bits of ice and snow when it came through the window, so I think he came from the North, maybe from somewhere in Scandinavia. Judging from the way that Remus reacted to the smell of the letter, though, Sirius thinks it's from Fenrir Greyback," he said.

James frowned. "Why would Greyback be sending a letter here?" he asked, moving slightly from his hiding spot to look over at Peter.

"The better question, actually, is why Greyback would be Owling you a letter instead of sending it to Remus, who he considers his pup," Peter said. He hesitated a moment, crossing his arms over his chest. "What business are you conducting with the werewolf?"

"I wasn't aware -"

"I can keep a secret, you know," Peter said, ignoring the look on James' face as he was interrupted. "You can tell me."

"I really don't, wait a minute," James said. He grabbed his wand and stood up, stretching a bit. "I'll make sure that Sirius lets you into the Gryffindor house tonight," he said.

Peter glared at him, but said nothing. He stood up and made to grab James by the upper arm.

James ducked out of Peter's grasp and ignored the boy's demands that James answer his questions.

Remus was waiting for him just outside the entrance to the Gryffindor common room, and Sirius was doing his best to keep the werewolf from pacing back and forth across the hallway. "What took you so long, James?" Remus all but snarled as James walked up to him.

Sirius grinned. "It's not close enough for the full moon, Jimmy," he said. "He's just been pissed at someone and it hasn't been me."

"For once," James said with a grin of his own.

"Yeah, well, I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts," Sirius said as he watched Remus back James up against the nearest wall. "Try not to make any sudden movements, otherwise he might strike."

"What is he, a cobra?" James asked, ducking quickly as Remus tried to punch him in the face.

Remus bared slightly sharpened teeth at James. "_He_ is not a cobra. _He_ is a victim of Greyback's, one who has been christened the alpha's pup," he snapped. "Why are you receiving one of Greyback's Owls?"

James said nothing, instead looking over at Sirius. "Maybe I should open the letter and see what it says before answering that question," he said quietly, looking back at Remus.

It took a moment, but Remus took a step back and let James go. "Go read the letter, then," he said, motioning vaguely at the portrait that hid the entrance to the Gryffindor Tower.

James ducked out of Remus' reach and made his way up to his room.

The Owl was perched rather indignantly on James' nightstand, and as soon as the letter was removed from it's leg, it bit James' hand before flying out the window.

James read the letter three times before it's message sank in.

Remus appeared in the doorway, watching James silently for a moment. "Who is the letter from, James?" he asked, with only a low growl in his voice.

"Keira," James said. "She wanted to let me know that this weekend was a good time for me to try my hand at helping her at the Haven, if I was still interested in doing so."

Almost immediately, Remus relaxed.

Sirius appeared behind him and wrapped his arms around Remus' waist.

"Don't push your luck, mutt," Remus muttered as Sirius started pulling him out of the doorway and down the stairs.

"That is what I do best, Remy," Sirius said. "We won't be back before breakfast, and don't come looking for us," he said to James before kicking the door shut behind Remus.


	53. I barely recognized you

**053. I barely recognised you**

Word Count: 1,034

* * *

After his classes ended that day, James took out the letter that he'd received in the Owl earlier and looked at the simple leather cord that had been hidden inside the envelope. It was supposedly a Portkey to Keira's rehabilitation facility in Romania, and James had arranged to try his hand with the animals over the weekend.

Sirius and Remus, for their part, were making their way around Ireland that weekend, looking for a place to move into together without being disturbed. New laws had recently been passed recently, further constricting the rights of werewolves in Great Britain, yet neither Remus or Sirius were particularly inclined to start over in a new country.

"What are you waiting for, Jimmy?" Sirius asked when he noticed who the letter was from. "She's doing important work, and you can help her with it," he said.

"And shouldn't you and Remy be on your way to the countryside of Ireland?" James asked. "Since you're unwilling to check out the forests of Scandinavia or thereabouts?"

Remus showed up at Sirius' side. "I don't want to have to go there unless there are no other possible options," he said quietly. "Greyback keeps his pack up there, and I don't want to face him any time soon."

"Isn't Greyback -"

"He is the reason I am what I am, yes," Remus said as he and James followed Sirius out to the border of Hogwarts territory. "But as such, he is my alpha, and if I seek him out, I will be forced to acknowledge that."

Sirius grinned. "Remy here likes to be the one in charge," he said with a laugh as he picked Remus up bridal-style and walked over to the Apparition point. "We'll see you on Sunday night, Jimmy," he said. "Don't get into any trouble without me," he added before Apparating away.

James grinned and turned his focus onto the leather cord. It was a necklace - that much had been explained in the letter - and there were dark grey dog tags handing on the cord. He put the necklace on and took hold of the dog tags. Closing his eyes a moment, he shoved the letter into his pocket and spoke the activation word. "Haven."

He was whisked away to the front door of a large manor house, and the door opened just seconds after he arrived.

Keira stared at him oddly for a moment before realization sank in. "James," she said. "I barely recognized you. You look like you haven't slept in a month. Are you feeling alright?" she asked as a white kitten jumped up onto her shoulder.

"I've just had some problems sleeping lately," he said. "How can I help out?"

"I'm going to show you around the sanctuary before I introduce you to our newest additions," she said, motioning for James to follow her inside.

The house was sparsely decorated, in a very zen sort of manner, but James' attention was focused mostly on the various animals that wandered throughout the house. In addition to the kitten on Keira's shoulder, there were two red foxes, a tiger cub, and a large black dog that, on first glance, looked almost identical to Sirius' Animagus form.

"You can go just about everywhere in the house, except the upstairs loft," Keira said. "It's nothing personal, but -"

"Not a problem," James replied. He followed Keira out of the house, taking note of the large herd of horses wandering in the open yard. "You mentioned that you had some new additions," he said. "How many animals do you have here?"

Keira looked back at him. "This is the only place like this in the world, and because of that, there are usually somewhere around eight hundred animals here. Of that, about two hundred of them stay here for the rest of their lives," she said. "The new additions came from America about a week ago, and they were forced to fight for money. Their wounds have been healed, but a few of them might not make it anyway."

James frowned. "What are they?"

"Wolves," Keira said. "They were stolen from their pack as pups, and then forced to fight each other to the death. Remus mentioned that you're good with canids, so I was hoping that you would see if you can work with them today."

"Sure," James said with a shrug. "I can't make any promises, but I'll do what I can. Where are the wolves?"

Keira smiled a bit. "They're in the barn out back, but I've separated the males and the females into two stalls," she said, walking with James out to the barn.

There were about a dozen wolves in total, and James was shocked almost speechless when he saw their bloody, malnourished state.

Keira looked over at him when she noticed James staring at the most undernourished of the wolves. "He's barely more than a pup, but he has more scars than the others," she said.

"What's his name?" James asked when he finally gathered himself enough to speak.

"None of them have names yet," she replied. The dog tags around her neck started to glow blue, and she swore quietly. "We've got a visitor," she said. "Feel free to name the pack members, as I doubt they'll be leaving the sanctuary any time soon." She turned to make her way out of the barn, but turned around to look at James. "Oh, if by chance either you or the animals get hurt, just touch the dog tags and say my name. I'll show up as fast as I can."

James nodded, turning his attention back onto the younger wolf. "Got it."

"I'll be back in about an hour," she said before disappearing around the corner.


	54. She dropped the knife

**054. She dropped the knife**

Word Count: 1,059

* * *

Remus wandered down into the Slytherin territory, looking more and more uncomfortable as he walked closer to the entrance to the Slytherin house.

Just as he walked around a corner, he narrowly avoided colliding with Severus, who looked more relaxed than Remus had seen him in months.

The Slytherin looked over at him almost curiously. "Remus, what are you doing down here?" he asked.

"I was hoping to find your room-mate, actually," Remus replied. "And I believe that congratulations are in order, on your part."

Severus smiled a bit and started to lead Remus back toward the Slytherin house and his dorm room. "The Council was particularly impressed when they realized that I had been able to get the cooperation and input from a werewolf, so I owe you a debt of gratitude," he said.

Remus shook his head. "You owe me nothing," he said. "How is Lucius coping?"

"Not well. I trust you know about the current situation between James and Lucius?" the Slytherin asked.

"After seven years, James knows better than to try to keep secrets from me," he said.

"He's not going to be happy to see you," Severus said. "He's doing his best to drink himself to death with some of his favorite brands of vodkas," he said, pursing his lips into a frown.

Remus remained silent as he followed Severus into the Slytherin's dorm room.

Lucius was sitting on his bed, finishing off a bottle of Grey Goose and looking at a ring on a chain around his neck. He looked up at the two intruders standing just inside the dorm room, staring at them silently.

"He's not going to die, is he?" Remus asked.

Severus shrugged. "I don't think so," he said. "At any rate, I've been monitoring his intake and administering the necessary potions to stop him from poisoning himself. Why did you want to see him?" he asked, looking over at the werewolf.

Remus was silent for a long moment, watching as Lucius stood and stumbled into the bathroom, likely to vomit. Once the door was shut behind the drunk Malfoy, he met Severus' gaze. "I wanted to see if he was taking this any better than James," he said.

"And is he?"

"Sirius and I have been watching James, and he's doing his best to ignore what happened. He's tried to kill himself in his sleep, though. Twice," Remus replied.

Severus frowned, but said nothing else as he led Remus out of the Slytherin house and the two of them made their way up to the library.

...

After spending a good twenty minutes vomiting, Lucius had the sense of mind to get back into his bed before he passed out. It wouldn't take him long to sleep off the effects of the alcohol - he had been drinking vodka since he was fourteen, though never before in the quantities he'd had in the past few days, and his body had adapted to the onslaught of that drink.

...

Four hours later, Lucius woke up with a massive hangover. He reached for the Hangover potion that Severus had left on his nightstand and downed it without moving more than absolutely necessary.

Once his headache dulled enough that he wasn't in too much pain, he sat up and looked at the fireplace in the room. He wasn't going to last much longer like this, he knew, and he needed help. Almost before he realized what he was doing, he had penned a quick note for Severus and had walked over to the fireplace and floo-ed back to Malfoy Manor, unwilling to think too much about his last interaction with James.

His mother was in the kitchen, cutting up some fruit likely for her lunch.

"Hello darling," she said without turning around. "I thought you had a meeting to go to before you came home for the day."

"Mother, it's me," Lucius said quietly, taking his mother by surprise. "Father's still at work."

Turning around abruptly, she dropped the knife and walked over to her son, immediately enveloping him in a hug. "What are you doing out of school at this hour?" she asked, stepping back from her son and looking at him. When she noticed the bloodshot eyes and the faint signs that he had been drinking heavily and crying, she pulled him back into her embrace. "What happened, Lucius?" she asked.

Lucius was silent for a long moment. "James is gone."

"Gone?" Eva asked, her eyes narrowing. "What do you mean, James is gone? The two of you are mates, for Morgana's sake!"

"He said that he wanted nothing more to do with me, and he hasn't been out of his room in the Gryffindor Tower since then," he said, finding a sense of security with his mother that he had missed.

Eva paused for a moment. "Did something happen between the two of you?"

"Not that I can recall, mother," Lucius said. "Though the Headmaster had been requesting to speak with James a number of times before James told me to stay away from him."

"Let's go into the sitting room and talk about this. You aren't going back to Hogwarts for at least the rest of the day. I'll arrange things with the Headmaster."

Lucius offered his mother a small, sheepish grin as he walked with her to the sitting room. "I left a note for Severus to tell Professor Slughorn that you requested me to return home for the next three days to deal with a family emergency. Slughorn won't ask too many questions and Severus will keep things vague on purpose."

Eva pushed her son onto the couch and sat down next to him. "Tell me everything," she said. And with those words, Lucius remembered why his mother was such a calming influence.


	55. He flashed his badge

**055. He flashed his badge**

Word Count: 1,100

* * *

Lucius made his way up to his Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, wondering where Severus had disappeared to this time. The less sociable Slytherin had done his best to hide as much of Lucius' liquor as possible, and he had done an irritatingly good job at it. Of course, since Lucius had figured out what he'd been doing, he'd tried to stay out of his way as much as possible.

"Lucius Malfoy?" a voice asked from Lucius' left.

"I have class in ten minutes," Lucius said, glancing over at the man who had spoken.

He frowned, reaching into the pocket of his robes.

Without hesitating, Lucius had his wand out and trained on the man.

"Impressive reflexes, Mister Malfoy," the man said as he pulled something shiny out of his pocket. "My name is John Clarke," he said as he flashed his badge. "I'm an Auror."

"I gathered that, what with the badge from the Ministry of Magic," Lucius said irately, not moving his wand even an inch. "What do you want?"

"You and I need to have a conversation in a more private setting, young man, and lower your wand before I decide to think that you are actively trying to threaten me," he said. "Come with me."

Lucius cautiously lowered his wand but did not loosen his hold on it. "I have to get to my Defense class."

"You have been excused from that class for today, Mister Malfoy. Come with me," Clarke said, motioning for Lucius to turn around and walk back the way he came. "Headmaster Dumbledore has been generous enough to offer me the use of his office for our conversation, so you'll be going there and behaving yourself like a young man who has nothing to hide," he said.

"What is this conversation concerning?" Lucius asked as he made his way up to Dumbledore's office.

"You'll find out when we get there."

Lucius frowned, tucking his wand into the pocket of his robe and started twisting his family ring almost nervously. "Now who's got something to hide?" he muttered irritably.

Clarke frowned. "Being a smart-ass is not going to make this conversation any easier for you," he snapped.

Lucius remained silent, still twisting his ring.

The Headmaster was standing at the entrance to his office, waiting for Clarke and Lucius to arrive. "Ah, Lucius," he said when he noticed the Auror leading the Malfoy heir toward the office. "Good of you to come."

"I didn't really have a choice in the matter," Lucius snapped.

Dumbledore smiled patronizingly. "Even still," he said. "Now, stop pretending to be nervous and stop fiddling with your ring. The three of us have a number of things to talk about before you return to your classes."

Lucius frowned, but followed Dumbledore and the Auror up to the Headmaster's office. "What is this conversation concerning?" he asked, once again reaching for his wand.

"You'll find out soon enough," Clarke said, slapping Lucius upside the head.

"Lay a hand on me again and I will remove your limbs, one by one," Lucius snarled, baring his teeth at the Auror.

"Don't threaten me, young man," Clarke snapped.

Dumbledore chuckled quietly and motioned over at the two chairs opposite his desk. "Have a seat, both of you," he said, his eyes twinkling.

Lucius said nothing, crossing his arms over his chest and standing stubbornly by the door. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't just walk out of the room right now, Headmaster," he said icily.

"Because I am your Professor and I will be forced to suspend you if you remain belligerent with either myself or Auror Clarke," Dumbledore said, pointing at the unoccupied chair in front of his desk. "Have a seat and we'll get right to the heart of the matter," he said.

Just as Lucius took a seat in the chair, the fire in Dumbledore's office flared up and tinged green, successfully interrupting any sense of conversation that either the Headmaster or the Auror might have started.

"I was unaware that you were expecting company, Albus," Clarke said.

"So was I, it seems," Dumbledore said as he watched Lucius' father step out of the fire, looking as dignified as ever.

Lucius' father looked over at him, taking note of the irritated look on his son's face, before turning a mercurial glare onto Dumbledore. "Would you care to tell me what the hell is going on, Albus?" Abraxas asked.

"This doesn't concern you, Abraxas," Dumbledore said, interlacing his fingers and resting his chin on his hands. "Everything is fine."

Abraxas motioned for his son to stand up. "If everything is alright, then why is my son sitting in your office and not in a classroom?" he asked as he walked over to his son and put his hands on Lucius' shoulders.

"There was something that we needed to discuss with your son, and we will return him to his classes once our conversation is finished," Clarke said.

Abraxas smirked. "You are a fairly new Auror, John, so I understand how you might believe that this is a minor infraction," he said. "However, Albus is well aware that Lucius is still underage, and as such he is permitted to have a parent or a solicitor present whenever an Auror is questioning him."

"Abraxas, I think you're overreacting," Albus said, once again adopting a patronizing smirk. "This is just a simple conversation."

"One in which there is an Auror present," Abraxas snapped. "Lucius, get your things and go back to your class," he said, gently pushing his son toward the door. "And Albus, if you ever pull my son from class without having a legitimate emergency to warrant pulling my him, I will see you brought up on charges regarding this event."

Dumbledore looked over at Lucius, who arched an eyebrow at him. "You may go back to class, my boy," he said.

Without a word, though he nodded to his father, Lucius slipped out of the room and shut the door almost silently behind himself.


	56. It's all too much

**056. It's all too much**

Word Count: 949

* * *

Without out any warning, Slughorn burst into the room that Lucius and Severus shared with each other. Severus glared at the man, shoving his book under his pillow before the Head of House could see what it was. Lucius watched Severus for a moment before turning his attention over to Slughorn.

"Relax, Snape," Slughorn growled. "I'm not here for you this time."

"I very much doubt that," Severus said, reaching for his wand should the older man try to attack him.

Slughorn glared at the younger man, but pointed to Lucius. "The Headmaster wants to see you, Malfoy. Get a shirt on and let's go," he snapped.

Lucius stood up hesitantly, slipping his wand into one of the pocket of his pants. "Why would he want to see me at nine o'clock on a Sunday night?"

"He didn't give me a reason," Slughorn said. "Though he did inform me that this meeting could not wait, so come with me."

Severus smirked. "It's such a shame, isn't it?" he asked as Lucius pulled a shirt on.

"I beg your pardon?" Slughorn asked.

"You are supposedly an esteemed Potions master, aren't you?" he asked. "And yet here you are, years of studious research reduced to a helpless lapdog," he said with a sneer.

"Well, Snape, you will have the pleasure of scrubbing every inch of the Potions classroom with a toothbrush," Slughorn snapped. "Every night for the next two weeks," he added.

Lucius cleared his throat. "Professor, you said that the Headmaster wanted to talk to me?" he asked.

Slughorn nodded, sending Severus one more glare before escorting Lucius out of the Slytherin chambers and up to the Headmaster's office.

—

Dumbledore was sitting at his desk when Slughorn walked into the room, Lucius trailing only half a step behind him. "Thank you Horace," he said without looking up. "I will see to it that Lucius returns to his room once we have finished our discussion."

Slughorn nodded and left the room.

"Have a seat, Mister Malfoy," Dumbledore said, still not looking up from the piles of parchment on his desk.

Only after Lucius had made himself relatively comfortable in the ridiculously plush red armchair facing the Headmaster's desk did Dumbledore look up at him.

"You were absent from the campus for three days last week, and none of the professors gave you permission to leave. Where did you go?" he asked, setting his quill down and interlacing his fingers.

"My mother requested that I come home for a few days," he said.

"Why?"

Lucius narrowed his eyes slightly, wondering why this line of questioning warranted pulling him out of his room so late at night.

"There was a private matter with my family that needed to be handled with some urgency," he said.

"That private matter wouldn't have anything to do with the rising conflict with the so-called Dark Lord, would it?"

"That question is completely out of line, Headmaster," Lucius said coldly, getting ready to stand up and walk out of the room.

Dumbledore offered Lucius a half-smile. "I realize that you think James Potter was infatuated with you, despite his recent rejection of you," he said.

Lucius bit back a growl. "That is none of your concern."

"I realize that with everything happening so soon, what with your final exams and graduation approaching in a few months, your break-up with the young mister Potter, and your family's dark affliation, that it can seem like it's all too much to handle," Dumbledore said, resting his chin on his fingers. "If you'd like, I might be able to lessen some of the burden that you're carrying."

Lucius hesitated a moment, torn between going back to his dorm room and actually listening to what the Headmaster was proposing.

"I see that you're interested. That is incredibly good news for the both of us," Dumbledore said. "I have a way of making it easier for you and James to be together, though it would likely involve you having to turn away from your parents."

"That isn't going to happen, regardless of how omnipotent you like to think you are," Lucius said, standing up and brushing an invisible piece of lint off of his robes. "I'm going to say this once, Headmaster, and you may take it as whatever you'd like. I will not betray those I hold close to me, and I will make sure that you are held responsible for what you've done wrong."

"What makes you think I've done anything wrong, my boy?" Dumbledore asked.

"We all have skeletons in our closet, so to speak. It's just a matter of how long it takes before they're unearthed," Lucius said coolly before walking out of the Headmaster's office and shutting the door almost silently behind him.

Slughorn was waiting just outside the office, grinning wickedly at the irritated look on Lucius' face. "I see he told you some harsh truths, didn't he?" he asked, not moving from his spot.

"As harsh as the truths that Severus told you," Lucius said with a smirk. He relished the look of outrage on his Head of House's face. "Have a good night, Professor."


	57. Let's party!

**057. Let's party!**

Word Count: 1,221

* * *

Between Sirius and Remus, the werewolf tended to be the more observant one, though Sirius did have his moments. So, about a week after James had started isolating himself in his dorm room, Sirius approached Remus in the Common Room.

"Remy?" he asked, plopping onto the couch next to Remus.

"I'm not going to sneak off with you, Siri," Remus said as he kept reading the book in his lap. "And I'm still reading my book, so if you want sex, you're going to have to take care of yourself at the moment."

Sirius grinned. "I wasn't going to ask you to do that, but it's always pleasant to be rejected without having asked anything," he said. "I was wondering what's going on with Jim."

Remus paused a moment before closing his book. "What do you think is going on with James?" he asked, setting the book on the arm of the couch and letting Sirius pull him into his lap.

"He's acting like he had a bad breakup with someone, but I haven't seen him publicly dating anyone seriously enough for him to react this badly," he said, kissing Remus on his nose. "He hasn't been crying or anything, but he's worrying me with the way he stays silent all the time," he added.

"Can you keep a secret?" Remus asked, glancing around the room to make sure that no one was paying too much attention to the two of them. Fortunately, they were done with their classes for that day while most of the other Gryffindors were not, so the common room was empty save for the two of them.

Sirius frowned. "Is it really that serious?" he asked.

"Would I ask if it wasn't?" Remus retorted. "Now, can you keep this a secret?" he asked.

A moment passed before Sirius shook his head. "If it's that sensitive, I'm going to assume that it would be better if less people know about it," he said quietly. "Don't tell me if it could end up hurting you or Jim," he said.

Remus nodded. "He was dating someone," he said quietly, resting his head in the crook of Sirius' neck. "From what I understand, and I do not know everything about this situation, it wasn't the longest of relationships, but it was intense and serious. External influences complicated the relationship and James was forced to end it under a threat of expulsion or worse," he said, his voice barely more than a whisper.

"And what about Evans?" Sirius asked, just as quietly.

"What about her?"

"Right after Jim got depressed, she started getting entirely too happy for her own good. She's been up in the dorm with Jimmy, doing her best to cheer him up," he said. "Which actually seems to be making him more depressed."

Remus chuckled slightly but did not move from his spot.

A brief moment of silence fell over the two of them.

"How can we help him?" Sirius asked after a moment. "I don't want to sound like an ass about this, but I don't want to have to put Jimmy on a suicide watch, and he needs to get out of his bed for something other than classes."

"At least he's still eating," Remus muttered, standing up.

Sirius nodded. "He's been sneaking down to the kitchen at night and between classes so he won't have to deal with people getting in his way," he said.

"Is someone trying to hurt him?" Remus asked as Sirius pulled him closer.

Sirius shook his head. "Not that I've seen," he said. "But the Headmaster has been watching him almost too closely and Snivellus has been glaring at him whenever they've passed each other in the hallways," he added. An odd look took over his face and he leaned back on the couch. "He wasn't dating Snivellus, was he?" he asked.

Remus grinned, chuckling quietly. "No, Siri," he said. "I can assure you that he has not, nor will he ever, think of Severus in an intimate manner," he said. "What did you have in mind when it comes to trying to cheer James up?" he asked, standing up and stretching.

"Something interesting, at the very least," Sirius said. "Let's party! What about going to a club?"

"He was in love, Siri," Remus said. "I doubt going to a building where the only goal is to do some dirty dancing with strangers," he said.

"Yes, well, it's worth a shot, isn't it?" he asked. "I don't want to take him to a bar, and going somewhere that no one knows what his situation is might lessen the effect of whatever he's going through at the moment."

Remus hesitated another moment before shrugging. He picked up his book as Sirius stood up. "I suppose there would be no harm in asking, but I'm expecting him to turn that suggestion down," he said.

Sirius nodded, grinning. "I'll be right back down," he said, practically bouncing up the stairs.

As soon as he heard their dorm room door shut, the portrait entrance to the Gryffindor Tower swung open silently and Professor McGonagall walked into the room, looking as prim and put together as ever. "Mister Lupin, how are you doing?" she asked quietly.

"If you're here to disturb James, you're going to have to deal with a lack of respect on my part," he said cooly. "He's been through enough, and the Headmaster needs to leave him alone."

"I am not aware of any misdeeds on Albus' part, Mister Lupin, but I am here to collect Mister Potter," she said.

Sirius came down the stairs a moment later, and James walked next to him, looking better than he had in days. "You're really okay with this idea?" Sirius asked.

"I can't spend the rest of my life wishing I was dead, Siri," James said, though he fell silent when he noticed his Head of House standing just inside the common room, watching him.

"Mister Potter," she said, offering him a half-smile. "Your mother is in Hogsmeade, and she has asked the Headmaster if she might have a conversation with you while she is in the area," she said.

"I don't have a choice in this meeting, do I?" James asked, adopting an emotionless mask.

McGonagall shook her head. "I'm afraid not, Mister Potter. Come with me, please."

Sirius grabbed James' arm before he took a step. "We've got plans, though," he said.

"Then postpone them until another time, Mister Black. Mister Potter, I do not want to ask you a third time to come with me," she said.

James bit back a groan as Remus pried Sirius' hand off of James. He looked up at the woman, offering a clearly fake smile. "Lead on, then," he said.


	58. She stirred her martini

**058. She stirred her martini**

Word Count: 1,032

* * *

James walked into Madam Puddifoots', wondering why his mother wanted him to meet her here. He looked around the restaurant and found his mother sitting at one of the tables closer to the back of the place.

She raised her hand and beckoned him to approach her.

He took a deep breath, doing his best to ignore the overpowering scent of roses - which was odd, given that there wasn't a single flower in the restaurant that he could see - and walked over to his mother.

"James," she said with a smile. "Your father told me a short while ago that you have chosen to take a young Muggleborn witch by the name of Lily Evans as your wife," she said. She noticed that her son had yet to sit down and frowned. "Have a seat, James," she said. "You and I have a number of things that need to be discussed before I head back to the Potter Manor."

James hesitated a moment, but took a seat across from his mother.

A waitress seemed to appear at their table mere seconds later, and she looked over at James' mother. "Lady Potter, can I get anything for you and your son?" she asked.

"I'll have a cherry martini, and my son will have a cup of hot chocolate," Amanda said.

"Mother, I haven't had a cup of hot chocolate since I was six years old," James said.

The waitress looked over at James a moment before focusing entirely on Amanda Potter. "Is that everything, Lady Potter?" she asked.

Amanda nodded, leveling a pointed stare at James. "I am going to go through a tragic emotional turmoil very soon, and you can indulge your mother by drinking a single cup of hot chocolate," she said. "I'd also like a few cherry tarts sent to the table."

James frowned, slouching in his seat and crossing his arms over his chest.

The waitress nodded. "Your order will arrive at your table in about two minutes," she said before walking over to another table.

"Now, James, as I was saying," Amanda said as she put up a number of Privacy charms. "Your father informed me that you have stated your intentions to marry a Muggleborn witch named Lily Evans. He also informed me that you and he had something of a falling out after you stated your intentions," she said.

"If you've come to try to convince me to apologize to my father, then it isn't going to work," James said.

A small pop sounded as their food and drinks appeared on the table in front of James and Amanda. Amanda snatched up her martini and sent James a silent glare, silently warning him of the consequences that would occur if he did not oblige her.

"Before you decide to unload your teenage angst onto me, James, keep in mind that I am not at all a stranger to the idea of an arranged marriage," she said. "Your father had no intention of marrying me when his father instructed him to, and yet we have had two decades of a relatively happy marriage."

James glared at the table. "I am well aware of the circumstances surrounding your marriage, mother, but I hate Evans," he said.

"I said the same thing about your father, you know," Amanda said. She stirred her martini and took a bite of a cherry tart. "This is not what I came to tell you, though."

"Then get on with it, mother. I don't have all day to sit here and talk with you about trivial matters," James said.

Amanda frowned at his bluntness but nodded. "You know that your father does not always keep his business dealings on the proper side of the law, regardless of his reputation," she said. "There have recently been a number of credible threats made against your father's life, and he would like to see you married and eligible to receive the title of Lord of the Potter Estates."

"Won't that put me in the line of fire, so to speak?" James asked.

"No, of course not, James. The threat was made specifically against your father," Amanda said. "He just wants to make sure that he gets to see you married to a woman who will do you and the Potter name well. Anyway, your father has spoken with Albus Dumbledore, who has made the proper arrangements that has moved the wedding from the spring holidays up to the next Hogsmeade weekend, which I believe is in two weeks from yesterday," she said.

"All this because he's afraid of some idiot threatening the Lord Potter?" James asked.

"Well, that and he's afraid that you might do something stupid to try to get out of this arrangement," Amanda said. "I will allow you to bring one person with you to the wedding, and do not try to be a smart-ass and bring this Malfoy character that has your father worried."

"Is there any way for me to get out of this?" he asked, finishing off his hot chocolate.

Amanda shook her head. "Apart from death or disownment, no. I came as well to mention to you that, since I was only able to give birth to you, I refuse to allow you to ruin this for me. You will go through with this wedding and you will at least tolerate it, even if only for me," she said.

James stood up suddenly. His mother, apart from her notorious love of drinking, had always tended to side with him rather than his father. Well, until now. "I have to go," he said, walking out of the restaurant and making his way back to Hogwarts without so much as a single glance behind him.


	59. Dance, dance, dance

**059. Dance, dance, dance**

Word Count: 1,125

* * *

As soon as he walked back into the Gryffindor Common Room, Remus practically dragged him up to the dorm room that they shared. "I'm not going to ask what McGonagall wanted or why she was so eager to pull you out of here, but Sirius might end up interrogating you about that," he said.

"He's going to be sore when he doesn't get any answers from me," James said. "What's your hurry?" he asked.

"Before you were so rudely pulled away from the two of us, you agreed to go with us to a club," Sirius said as he pulled James into the room and shoved a handful of clothes into his arms. "Pick your outfit," he said.

James frowned. "What club did I agree to go to?" he asked.

"Well," Sirius started. "We didn't manage to get that far in the conversation, but Remus and I have been talking things over and we have decided that we're taking you to Primal," he said.

James hesitated. "Primal? The club that is largely associated with Fenrir Greyback's pack?" he asked. "The one where two people were killed last month?"

Remus grinned. "I spoke with him earlier," he said.

"You willingly sought out Greyback?" James asked, looking surprised at the mere thought. "I thought you refused to do that."

Sirius growled, seeming equally as surprised that Remus would seek out the man that had infected him with the lycanthrope virus. "You did what?" he snarled, grabbing Remus by the shoulders and baring his teeth at the werewolf. "He nearly killed you!"

"Well, this time he kept his hands to himself, mutt," Remus growled, a feral tone in his voice. His eyes sparked amber and Sirius stepped back, releasing his hold on him. "We avoided the topic that he wants so dearly to address, and he agreed that no one would harm the three of us if we end up going to Primal, either now or in the future," he said.

James' eyes narrowed and he dumped the pile of clothes onto the floor in front of his bed. "Why does it seem like there's something that you aren't telling us?" he asked. "Greyback doesn't strike me as the type to hand out such protection without demanding something in return."

"He's not," Remus said, his eyes still glowing amber.

Sirius froze. "What did he want from you?" he asked.

Remus remained silent, watching the ground for a long moment. "He demanded my loyalty," he muttered. "All things considered, it is not the worst thing that he could have taken from me."

"I doubt that," Sirius snapped. "James, pick out your outfit. We're leaving in ten minutes for Primal, apparently."

James nodded and set about doing so.

Remus approached Sirius, gently wrapping his hands around Sirius' throat in a clearly dominant manner. "You are my mate, Sirius. You know that I am willing to lay down my life to ensure your safety," he said quietly. "However, my alpha retains the right to demand that I remain loyal to my pack."

"You did not have a choice when it came to this mess," Sirius snapped.

"I have accepted this, Sirius. I was a child when I was turned, and I have had since then to realize that Fenrir chose me for a reason," he said. "I don't yet know what that reason is, but I am not going to risk my life and yours because you have an overactive possessiveness when it comes to our relationship," he said.

"I don't have to like this."

"Neither do I," Remus said. "But it is the law, and I am not willing to offend the most powerful werewolf in this hemisphere just because I do not agree with him. He demanded that I do not align myself behind either Dumbledore or the rising Dark Lord, but that my loyalty remains with my pack," he said. "I merely promised my neutrality in the growing conflict."

James pulled on a tight black tank top and slipped into baggy black jeans. When he noticed Sirius leaning up to kiss Remus, he cleared his throat.

The two of them turned to look at him. Remus had not moved his hands from Sirius' throat and Sirius grinned. "Care to join in, Potter?" Sirius asked.

"I thought you'd save that until we got to the club?" he suggested.

"So now you're willing to grind on strangers?" Remus asked.

James offered Remus a weak smile. "I'm taking this one step at a time."

"You have three things to do tonight, Jimmy," Sirius said as he ducked out of Remus' hold. "Apart from enjoying yourself, you are to dance, dance, dance."

"Do you have any idea how fruity that sounds, you idiot?" he asked, grinning.

Remus started circling James, inspecting his outfit. "Consider yourself lucky that Siri is wearing the same thing that you are, otherwise I might tell you that wearing a shirt like the one you have on is almost see-through," he said.

"All the more reason for Jim to wear it. Both of us are fantastically good-looking and those who want to look should be welcome to a free show," Sirius said as he draped his arms over James' and Remus' shoulders. "The Portkey, wolfie?" he asked.

Remus frowned at the pet name, but pulled a bloody rabbit's foot from the pocket of his jeans. Both Sirius and James balked at the sight of the foot, but Remus grinned. "Don't tell me you're going squeamish on me," he said. "If the club is associated with Fenrir, it is not going to be easy to get inside."

"But still, a bloody rabbit's foot?" Sirius asked. "I'm all for getting Jim out of here, but this seems odd to me," he said.

Remus said nothing.

James took a deep breath, waiting for only a brief moment before touching part of the rabbit's foot. "Don't be scared, Siri," he said with a grin. "It's not going to bite you."

"I will not rise to the bait like that, Jimmy," Sirius said, even as he reached out and touched the foot.

Remus grinned and said the activation fee that swept them out of the room and off to the club.


	60. I'm in the mood for lovin'

**060. I'm in the mood for lovin'**

Word Count: 996

* * *

Lily had put it into her mind to follow James everywhere he went on that Sunday, insisting that it was absolutely necessary if she were to get to know James enough to find out what he wanted from her. She refused to leave him alone, no matter how many times he made it clear that her presence was very much unwanted.

Sirius, upon realizing what Lily was up to, had chosen to follow the two of them. Remus had tagged along, if only to make sure that no blood was drawn.

Those circumstances had led to the four of them sitting under a large tree by the lake, where James found himself wishing he was anywhere else but sitting under that large tree by the lake.

"So, Evans, is it true that Muggles are afraid of everything?" Sirius asked as he pulled Remus into his lap, ignoring the surprised yelp from the werewolf.

"It is most certainly not true," Lily said indignantly. "And that kind of behavior is just uncalled for," she said, glaring pointedly at the intertwined hands of Remus and Sirius.

"Such behavior would be expected of us someday, if we are truly to be married," James muttered, lighting a cigarette.

"When did you start smoking, James?" Lily asked.

"Since I lit up this cigarette about two seconds ago," he replied, handing a second cigarette to Sirius, who was watching him expectantly.

"Jim lad, you are heaven sent," Sirius said, lighting up the cigarette. "Did Longbottom give you these?"

"Frank and I are not exactly on friendly terms," James said, laughing quietly.

Remus looked over Sirius' shoulder at him, ignoring the way that Sirius kissed his neck. "Is this still because of the incident with Alice?" he asked with a grin.

Lily perked up. "What incident with Alice? And aren't Frank and Alice engaged to be married?" she asked.

Sirius looked over at Lily, leering perversely. "You see, not too long ago, Frankie got in a fight with Alice and the two of them broke up for about a week. Alice sought out Jimmy here and offered to suck his cock," he said, grinning when Lily flushed a bright red and looked at the ground. "See, Jimmy likes sex with some people, and she offered him a blowie to try and get Frankie jealous."

James cleared his throat. "It worked, Black, and you were witness to it," he said. "Is there really a need to revisit the beating that Longbottom handed to me?"

"Considering the number of times that you've kicked my ass in the past?" Sirius retorted before turning his focus onto Remus, who had been trying to squirm out of his hold. "If you continue to fidget, you will be going down on me behind one of those trees over there," he said, gesturing at a few trees nearby.

"You're awfully confident for being, well, you," Remus said with a smirk. He glanced over at James. "Slytherins at stage right," he said.

James looked in the direction that Remus had specified and bit back a smile when he recognized Lucius.

Sirius took note of the young man walking next to Lucius and grinned. He stood up suddenly, dropping Remus to the ground without so much as a second thought. "Why don't we go say hello to Snivellus?" he asked.

James stood up and pulled Remus to his feet. He glanced over at Lily, who was watching him expectantly with one of her hands extended toward him. "Did your legs suddenly stop working, Evans? Stand up on your own," he said.

She stood up with a huff and glared at him, ignoring the fact that the other three completely ignored her. "You're lucky I don't tell your father how rude you're behaving toward me."

"I'm shaking in my boots, Evans, really," James said as he and Remus followed Sirius over to where Lucius and Severus were talking.

"Snivellus, won't you die if you're exposed to something other than potions fumes?" Sirius asked.

James hid himself slightly behind Remus to avoid making eye contact with Lucius, who was watching him relentlessly. Remus took pity on him and did his best to shield the Gryffindor, though he did tug on Sirius' robe.

"What is it, Remy?" Sirius asked, still glaring at Severus.

Before Remus spoke up, Lily walked up and wrapped an arm around James' waist. "James, why don't we retire to your dorm room," she suggested, glaring at Lucius in an uncharacteristic show of confidence. She pulled James a step back and wrapped her other arm around James' waist, trapping him in her hold. "I'm in the mood for lovin' you," she said in a sing-songy voice.

Lucius took a step forward, his eyes sparking angrily, but Severus grabbed hold of his arm, stopping him.

Lily pressed a kiss to James' cheek, deliberately ignoring the wince she received, and grinned. "If you are rude to me right now," she murmured, kissing James' cheek again. "I will Owl your father and have you disowned from the Potter family."

James smirked coldly and leaned forward so that his mouth was next to her ear. "It might not be today, and it might not be tomorrow, but with any and every god as my witness, I will see you dead for what you have done to me," he whispered before unlatching her arms from around his waist. He pressed her arms to her sides. "And keep your hands to yourself," he said before retreating back into the castle.


	61. We reached for the sky

**061. We reached for the sky**

Word Count: 1,059

* * *

Lucius woke to the sounds of quiet conversation taking place in the same room as him. At first, he was unable to understand it, but as he drifted further out of the land of unconscious, the conversation grew easier to understand.

"So you're going with him today?" Severus asked, to which there was a nonverbal reply.

Lucius sat up slowly and got out of bed. He pulled his hair into a loose ponytail and looked over at his roommate.

Severus was speaking quietly with Remus Lupin, and neither of them seemed to noticed that Lucius was awake. It was still late - a fact made obvious by the sight of Remus Lupin wearing only black cotton pants and the outer robes of his school robes and Severus wearing rumpled school clothes proving that he'd only gotten to bed a little while ago.

Remus allowed Severus to take hold of his hands. "Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked quietly.

"You've never wanted to help James before," Remus said, leaning slightly into Severus as he spoke. "Why start caring now?" he asked.

Severus stood up, still holding onto Remus' hands. "Because I find myself in a situation that is slightly similar to Potter's," he said quietly.

Remus hesitated a moment before pulling stepping out of Severus' grasp. "I cannot do this," he said quietly. "My mate is expecting me back." He pulled his robes shut and glanced over at Lucius. "How long have you been awake?" he asked.

"Only a moment," Lucius replied, summoning a cup of tea.

Severus turned and looked at Lucius. "Neither of us are going to carry on a conversation with you until you put a pair of pants on," he said. "And I will tell you once again to stop sleeping naked when I have to see your dick hanging in the morning," he added, motioning vaguely at Lucius' clearly naked lower half with an irritated look on his face.

Remus looked over at Lucius and smirked, despite the blush on his face. "I can certainly see why he sought you out for fun before what happened started to set into motion," he said.

Lucius offered Remus a tired smirk in return. "I do not wish to sound rude, Lupin, but why are you here?" He cast a silent _Tempus_ charm. "It is two thirty in the morning."

"James told me about a half an hour ago that his marriage to Evans is going to take place later this morning, when the sun is actually in the sky. I'm supposed to go with him, both to make sure that he doesn't do anything stupid and to offer him whatever support I can," Remus said.

Lucius was silent, sitting heavily back on the bed. "Marriage?" he asked.

Severus frowned. He leaned a bit closer to Remus, so that his mouth was level with Remus' ear. "I don't think he was entirely aware that Evans was that close with James," he said quietly.

"Oh," Remus said. "I thought someone would have told him about that by now."

Severus shook his head. "It's been hard enough to keep him sober for eight consecutive hours without him having to deal with the idea of his mate being intimate with someone else, whether it was his choice or not," he said.

Lucius set his cup of tea on the nightstand next to his bed and stared unblinkingly at the ground. "Why did you come here, Lupin?" he asked after a moment.

"I sent an Owl, asking him to come down here," Severus said absently.

"Why?"

Remus shook his head slightly and put his hands on Severus' shoulders. "I need to get back to my mate," he said gently. "I cannot meet you down here again, Severus," he added.

The young Potions Master said nothing.

Lucius growled quietly. "I'm not going to deal with this love triangle bullshit," he said. "I'm going back to bed."

Remus looked over at Lucius as the Slytherin pulled the quilt back on top of himself. "Tell me one thing before I leave, would you?" he asked.

"One thing," Lucius muttered.

"Are you really going to give him up that easily?" Remus asked. "He is your mate and he is betraying you by committing to another," he said quietly. "With my kind, such a crime is punishable by death."

Lucius looked over at Remus. "With your kind?" he asked.

"We are similar, you and I," Remus replied.

Lucius hesitated. "Are we now?"

"We are both Dark creatures, young Lord Malfoy," he said. "Our kind lives by similar rules. How can you allow your mate to do this to you?" he asked.

"James made his choice when he sent me away," Lucius muttered. "With my kind I can either kill him or choose to suffer a life of feeling incomplete without my mate," he said.

"Why?"

"We reached for the sky, James and I," Lucius murmured. "It just wasn't enough for him, and I cannot bring myself to kill him because he was not willing to settle for my shortcomings," he said before shutting the tapestries around his bed and pulling the blanket up over his head. "Offer him my condolences on his wedding," he growled lowly.

Remus waited a moment before looking over at Severus. "I won't be back until late, and you need to figure yourself out," he said quietly.

Severus remained silent, choosing instead to crawl back into his bed and spell shut the tapestries around his bed. "Goodbye, Remus," he said, not watching long enough to see Remus leave the room.

The door shut with a soft click behind Remus as he left the Slytherin dorm room, intent on making his way back up to the Gryffindor Tower where Sirius was waiting for him.


	62. Her face was almost hidden

**062. Her face was almost hidden behind the fairy floss**

Word Count: 1,123

* * *

The wedding was apparently to take place in the Potter villa in Bavaria, which had pleased Lily to no end. She hadn't stopped her excited rants about the place since they had first arrived there.

Lily's entire family was there, insulting the Potter house by their presence alone. Mudbloods and Muggles in his family's house, and James remembered when his father had nearly had a stroke when he, as a child, had offered shelter to a wayward vampire.

As far as guests on James' behalf, his father had told him that he would not allow James to invite any of his 'hooligans' to the wedding. James, on the other hand, had demanded that Remus be at his side during the ceremony. The werewolf had been his one lifeline in this, and he had barely been able to fight off James' growing depression.

When he'd been pulled from Hogwarts on a Hogsmeade weekend, looking about as enthusiastic as a criminal to the guillotine with an overly protective Remus watching his every move, Sirius almost immediately knew that there was something wrong with James, but he had been strange in his behavior and had not approached James with the same demands to know what was going on that James would have normally expected from his friend.

"You should pretend like you aren't going to off yourself before the honeymoon, Jim," Remus said, in an attempt to provoke some sort of reaction from the down-trodden Gryffindor. It didn't quite work the way he'd thought it would, and James just stared at him with his constantly-depressed brown eyes.

"I should, you know," he said dismally. "Off myself. Before I am forced to participate in what will essentially end up in my rape, sanctioned by the Headmaster," he said.

Remus, without hesitating, pulled James into what he hoped was a reassuring embrace. "You can't and you know it," he said quietly.

"Why not? It's not like I'm going to do anyone any good heaving around that bitch for the rest of my life," James muttered darkly.

A pounding on the door caught both of their attention and Remus bit back a growl at the would-be intruder. "James, I do not have the time for this foolish attempt at teenage rebellion from you," his mother snapped. "I plan to enjoy watching you get married and you will regret it quite a bit if you attempt to take that from me today."

"He'll be down in five minutes," Remus called, surprising both James and himself with how well he was able to hide his frustration and anger at the woman.

"No more than that, or I'll hold you equally as responsible for ruining what's supposed to be a mother's best day of her life with her son," came the snipped response before Remus heard the indignant steps of James' mother walking down the stairs with her stiletto shoes.

James sighed loudly and stood up, allowing Remus to straighten the tie on his Muggle tuxedo. Wondering for what wasn't the first time why Evans had demanded that they get married the Muggle way, he did his best to think of something that wouldn't have him rushing into the path of the nearest on-coming train. He wasn't expecting Remus to kiss his cheek when he was done straightening James up.

"You look incredible," the werewolf said. "Every bit the proper Potter lord that your father seems to think he is."

"And if I weren't getting ready to be bound to Evans and you hadn't bonded with Siri, we'd end up going at it like it was the last day of our fuckin' lives," James said, his cocky smile coming back onto his face as he tweaked his tie so that it was crooked on purpose. "Pun intended."

"Your mother will be furious with the both of us that you don't look like the spitting image of your father on their wedding day, you know," Remus said, shoving his hands in his pockets to avoid reaching out and straightening the tie that he had fastened around James' neck only a few minutes ago. "You can get through this, you know," he commented absently as James draped an arm over his shoulders and the two of them headed downstairs.

Before they were in sight of everyone present for the wedding, Remus stopped James and handed him a pair of black dragon-hide leather gloves. "These are a gift from both me and Siri," he said. "Touching Evans will be increasingly more painful since you have already found and started to bond with the mate you are meant to be with, so I thought they would come in handy. Sirius also wanted to make sure that you had a pair of 'bitchin' leather gloves' for the motorcycle that he was going to dig up for you," he said.

James slipped them on and smiled gratefully at his friend. "She's the one who's going to end up dead. I'm not going to give her the satisfaction of outliving me," he promised.

"Good," Remus said with a sad smile. "Now, go out there and ruin your life. I'll be standing in the back, since no one else really wanted me here to begin with."

James said nothing for a long moment but headed out to the backyard. As he stepped onto the aisle, he noticed that Lily was already standing up at what he assumed was to be the place where he he was to meet her. Her face was almost hidden behind the fairy floss, he knew, and as long as the ceremony was quick, he was relatively sure that he would be able to survive what was sure to be a disaster of a wedding.

He slowly approached Evans, noting with a pointed feeling of dismay that Dumbledore would be officiating the blasted ceremony. As if things couldn't get any worse, he groused to himself as he suppressed an exasperated growl.

Once he stood next to Evans, he made sure that his mental shields were at their strongest and bit back a sigh. Might as well listen to Remus' advice and not give his mother reason to start a suicide watch on him.

Dumbledore smiled at him and James bit back a scathing remark. The twinkling in the man's eyes was going to drive him mad, of that he was sure.


	63. Can we ride it again, please?

**063. Can we ride it again, please?**

Word Count: 1203

* * *

_Severus said nothing for a moment, clearly unsure what to say. "You are insane, Potter," he muttered, turning back to his book. _

_James grinned at the Potions Master. "That isn't my last name anymore, Severus, and you know it as well as I do," he said._

_"Yes," Severus said dryly, not looking up from his book. "You and Lucius decided to blackmail me into playing the part of officiant for your ceremony," he said. "And that, among other reasons, is one of the reasons why I don't want to be involved in this plot of yours."_

_James said nothing for a moment, choosing to instead take a seat in the chair next to Severus. "Harry is having fun at the moment, and you can go back to your lair whenever you want," he said. "No one is forcing you to stay here."_

_"The threat of my godson falling, potentially to his death, is going to keep me here to suffer through whatever punishment you and Black decide I have deserved for existing," Severus replied._

_James looked down at the ground, saying nothing. "I haven't gone out of my way to torment you since our fifth year in Hogwarts," he said. "And I thought Remus had persuaded Sirius to leave you out of his pranks."_

_Severus set his book on the arm of his chair, silently gathering his words before he said anything. "You have been kind enough to avoid deliberately making my life miserable, so I will thank you for that, but do not try to excuse Black's behavior."_

_"What has he done to you?"_

_"Do not concern yourself with Black's behavior toward me," Severus said. "You would be better off spending your time making sure that Lupin rubs off on your child more than the mutt does," he said, motioning up at Harry._

_Sirius, for all his Gryffindor tendencies, had done a good job of ignoring Severus, and he was currently on a broom, trying to teach Harry how to play the Beater position. "You still aren't hitting the ball hard enough, kiddo," he said. _

_"I don't want to hit the ball, Siri," Harry said._

_Sirius looked over at the nine year old oddly. "Why wouldn't you want to hit the ball, kiddo? That's the best part of the game."_

_"That's a lie," James muttered darkly. "Seeker is the best position and my son is better at playing Seeker than Sirius is at hitting things," he said._

_Severus smirked, but said nothing._

_Harry looked over at his father before looking back at Sirius. "Because the last time that I hit the Quaffle as hard as I could, I hit Grandpa in the back of the head," he said._

_"And what did Abraxas do to you when you hit him?"_

_"Nothing," Harry admitted._

_"Then cheer up, kiddo," Sirius said with a grin. "It's just a game."_

_The boy returned Sirius' grin before leaning down on his broom and flying over the roof of Godric's Hollow._

_It took only a moment for Sirius to catch onto the new game that Harry was playing and he sped after the child._

_Lucius walked out the back door, followed by his father, and grinned at the sour expression on Severus' face. "Harry is not the type of child to push himself beyond his limits, Sev. He's been over the roof more than once, and he has not come close to harming himself," he said. "James, what do you want?" he asked when he noticed James watching him rather intently._

_"You said that Abraxas wasn't going to be able to make it today," James said almost petulantly._

_Abraxas cleared his throat. "That is my fault, James. Eva is not going to be here today, but someone's incompetence allowed me to take the necessary time off to come," he said. "The meeting that I was scheduled for was cancelled without any notice."_

_"And what did you do in response to that?" Severus asked, standing up._

_"I made sure that the man who was responsible for the cancellation of that meeting is no longer able to find a job in this country," Abraxas said with a vicious smirk. He looked over at Lucius. "What makes that experience even more pleasant is the fact that the imbecile was a vampire."_

_Lucius looked over at him. "I was unaware of that."_

_"He was incredibly weak - little more than a mortal," Abraxas said with a slight shrug as he took a seat in the free chair in the garden. "He managed to figure out what I am, and he tried to approach me with that information as blackmail," he added._

_James looked over at him. "Why do I get the feeling that you aren't telling us something?" he asked, grabbing Lucius' hand and pulling the Malfoy into his lap._

_"Because he's not telling you something," Lucius said. "And do not pull at me again."_

_Abraxas summoned a cup of bourbon and remained silent for a moment. "Where is my grandson?" he asked._

_Almost as if on cue, Harry flew over the roof again, laughing loudly. He glanced down at his father and grinned when he noticed that James had kept Lucius pinned in his lap. He landed near the pool and waited until Sirius had landed his broom. "That was fun, Siri," he said as Sirius pulled him up over his shoulder and carried him back to where everyone else was sitting. "If I promise to let you win next time, can we ride it again, please?" he asked._

_"You ride the brooms again later, sure, but I don't want to find out that you let me win anything, kiddo. We've got to hone those Quidditch skills so that when I'm old, I can brag about my famous nephew," Sirius said. He put Harry on the ground. "For now, go see your grandfather."_

"James," Lily snapped, roughly shaking James awake. "Stop talking in your sleep; you're keeping me awake."

"Such a pleasant wedding night this is, Evans," he growled, moving far enough away that she was unable to touch him. "Next time just cast a Silencing Spell on me instead of waking me up."

"Don't think I won't," she snapped before pulling the sheets off to her side and going back to sleep almost immediately.


	64. The tennis racket had no strings

**064. The tennis racket had no strings**

Word Count: 1,163

* * *

"Mister Potter!" McGonagall said sternly.

There was no response.

"Mister Potter!" she snapped, this time gathering the attention of everyone else in the classroom. "Mister Potter, honestly!"

James finally opened his eyes and looked up at his Head of House. "Was there something I could do for you?" he asked, adopting a loose grin and winking at the woman.

A number of the students, Remus and Sirius included, burst out in quiet laughter as their Transfigurations assignments were almost immediately forgotten.

"Your impertinence is unimpressive, Mister Potter," she said.

James shrugged half-heartedly. "I would try harder, Professor, but I'm worn out," he said.

McGonagall offered the Potter a terse smile. "I would hope that you aren't too worn out to prove to me that you have the ability to transfigure the rock on the table in front of you," she instructed.

"What is it that you want to see?" he asked.

"The instructions I gave out at the beginning of the class remain the same, Mister Potter. You are to transfigure the rock into a tennis racket," she said.

James grinned, but tapped his wand on top of the tennis racket and spoke the incantation that slowly transfigured it into the racket. "How's that?" he asked, feeling that he already knew the answer.

"Satisfactory, Mister Potter," McGonagall said, though there was a small smile on her face. "Though I would appreciate it if you would participate in class rather than sleeping through it," she said before moving off to the other side of the room, where another student had the bad luck of drifting off to sleep.

He nodded and looked over at Sirius, who grinned at him.

"You've seemed to bounce back from your depression," he said carefully.

"I'm not made of glass, Siri," James said. "I'm not back to being myself again, but I'm getting there."

Remus smiled and looked over at James. "How was your time away?" he asked.

James shrugged, adopting a blank expression. "My supposed honeymoon?" he asked, biting back a snarl. "It was about as fun as you would expect - spending a weekend with no one but the Mudblood, who went on and on about how fantastic the villa was," he said.

Sirius looked behind James and frowned. "Lily is staring at you again," he said.

"She's been doing that in all of the classes that I share with her," James said. "My father told her to give me some time to adjust to the whole marriage situation, and apparently she thinks that watching me like a hawk is the right way to go about allowing me the time to adjust."

Sirius hesitated a moment and Remus draped his arms over Sirius' shoulders. "She's coming over here," he said.

James frowned, but said nothing.

Lily dropped into the seat behind him a brief moment later. "James, how are you doing today?" she asked, wrapping her arms around James' chest and resting her chin on James' shoulder.

"I was doing fine until you came over here," he muttered.

Sirius started laughing, but he turned to speak with Remus when Lily leveled a glare his way.

"James, your father promised me that you would be nicer to me after the two of us got married," she said, pressing a wet kiss to James' cheek.

"He told you to give me some time to get used to the concept of being married to you, Evans," James said, trying unsuccessfully to escape Lily's hold. "You have given me less than twenty four hours to adjust, and I do not want to have to tell you again to stop molesting me in the middle of our classes."

Lily said nothing, instead looking at the tennis racket on the table in front of James. "You seem to have done well with the lesson," she commented.

"Miss Evans," McGonagall said sternly.

"That isn't my last name anymore," Lily said snottily.

McGonagall paused and James bit back a groan.

"I married James this weekend," Lily said. "So I am now Lily Potter, and I would appreciate you referring to me as such," she said.

"That will be ten points from Gryffindor for your impertinence, Miss Potter, and would you please be so kind as to transfigure your rock into a tennis racket?" McGonagall asked, narrowing her eyes ever so slightly as she set a rock in front of Lily.

Lily nodded, reluctantly separating herself from James, and tapped her wand on the rock, murmuring the phrase. Nothing happened, and she blushed slightly.

James bit back a smirk and edged away from Lily as much as he could without being too obvious.

Lily saw what he was doing, though, and grabbed his hand to stop him from getting too far away from her. She tapped her wand against the rock a second time and said the incantation, and this time the rock slowly transfigured itself into something resembling the ideal final product. The tennis racket had no strings and the handle was bent a bit, but it still resembled what it was supposed to be.

McGonagall thinned her lips and hummed disapprovingly. "Perhaps, Miss Potter, it would be pertinent for you to remove yourself from Mister Potter and turn your focus onto your studies. I expect to see a proper tennis racket before you leave this room today," she said before moving on to check the progress of the other students.

James grinned, but bit back a growl when Lily put her head on James' shoulder again. She didn't say anything, instead attempting to create the tennis racket again, but she didn't let go of James.

Sirius looked over at James, grinning wickedly, and held up his tennis racket. Making sure that neither Lily nor McGonagall were watching, he quickly changed it into a noose. "Perhaps less painful than your marriage?" he asked quietly.

James opened his mouth to respond, but Remus elbowed Sirius in the side and grabbed the noose, quickly setting it on fire. "You're going to get all of us in trouble, mutt," he said, though there was a slight smirk on his face.

"I was only trying to be helpful, Remy," Sirius said, rubbing his side.

"Try another way," Remus said before turning back to his book.

Sirius looked over at James, who shrugged silently and once again tried to separate himself from Lily.


	65. The paint was peeling

**065. The paint was peeling**

Word Count: 938

* * *

"Miss Lily," Geoffrey Potter said as he approached her.

She hesitated a moment before offering her father-in-law a shy smile. "Mister Potter," she said.

"Miss Lily, you are family now. Please, call me Geoffrey," the man said. "Do you have any idea where my son is at the moment?"

Lily nodded. "He's up in his dorm, still moping around at the fact that he's on a leash for the rest of his life," she said. "Would you like me to take you up to the Gryffindor Tower?"

"If you don't mind," the man said. "I need to have a word with my son in private, and then I have something to show the two of you. A belated wedding present of sorts, if you will." He scratched the stubble on his chin. "You mentioned that he was now on a leash?"

Lily grabbed her bag and started walking back to the Gryffindor Tower. "You hadn't heard?" she asked, and Geoffrey shook his head. "James has quite the reputation as a philanderer. Rumor has it that he's slept with students in every house, and another rumor has it that he's slept with over a hundred people," she said airily.

Geoffrey frowned and said nothing.

"He was an almost perfect gentleman around me, though," Lily continued. "Apart from the occasional comment about who he bedded and why, he left me alone."

Once in the Tower and in the dorm room that James shared with his friends, Lily and Geoffrey found James working on a Potions essay in an otherwise empty room. When he noticed that he had company, he pushed the essay underneath his pillow and stood to face the newcomers.

"Father?"

"I need to take you and your young wife to the house that you will be living in once you graduate at the end of the year," Geoffrey said. "I've already appraised the Headmaster of the situation and you and Miss Lily will be spending the weekend at the house, making it suitable for your needs."

"Which house would this be?" James asked, standing up and taking his wand and cloak.

"Godric's Hollow."

James scowled. "That house hasn't been used in over half a century," he said.

"And yet, I have yet to change my mind about allowing you to live there," Geoffrey said. "Your mother and I will remain in the Potter Manor until you are christened as patriarch."

James tossed a spare cloak at Lily before following his father out of the dorm room and out to the Apparition point at the edge of Hogwarts territory.

Lily hurried to keep pace with the two Potters, looking clearly uncomfortable with the tense silence between father and son.

Geoffrey waited for his son and daughter-in-law to catch up with him, and once he had a secure hold on their shoulders, he Apparated out to Godric's Hollow.

As though to back up James' statement, the house was near to falling apart. The fence surrounding the property and the gate they stood in front of were the only things that were completely intact, though there was quite a bit of rust on the iron structure.

James tossed a glare at his father, who smiled patronizingly at his son.

"I will return in the evening to check on your progress," he said. "There are no house elves, but the Headmaster has ensured that you will be able to use magic without repercussions from the Ministry," Geoffrey said before Apparating away.

Lily looked over at James, who refused to look at her as he kicked the gate open and walked up to the house. She glared at him before rushing to catch up with him.

"I'm going to tell you this now, if only to save myself a lecture later. This house has not been used since my grandmother was alive, and the house will reflect that. The structure will be sound, but I cannot guarantee anything else," he said, bodily shoving the door open.

"What should I do?"

"You can clean up the kitchen and the living areas, but try to keep the same look in the house," James said, holding the door open for her and finally making eye contact with her.

Lily looked around - under the decay of a long-uninhabited house, there was a theme to the house that was simple, which she did not find particularly interesting. "Why?" she asked. The main sitting room she was looking into was painted in a light turquoise color, and despite the fact that the paint was peeling off the walls, and the dark brown furniture in the room was dusty and torn, it held a certain sense of elegance to her.

"It was a part of my grandmother's last wishes that the house be kept in the same colors," James said, looking around and finding the staircase. "I'll be working on restoring the second floor," he said, heading upstairs without waiting for Lily to say anything.

The second floor held the master suite, and two secondary suites. James headed into the closest guest suite, looked around at the light grey walls and the furniture, and smiled slightly before starting to repair the room.


	66. It was the perfect crime

**066. It was the perfect crime**

Word Count: 1,134

* * *

As he finished repairing the sitting room on the second floor, he noticed a door hidden behind one of the bookshelves. He moved the bookshelf aside enough to open the door and slip inside. There was a small staircase, and James carefully made his way up, repairing the walls and restoring the paint as he went.

"I heard that, Potter!" someone yelled. "And I'm getting sick of this game!"

James froze, clearly not having expected to hear anyone speaking. He made sure he had a firm grip on his wand and made his way up the final few steps and into the room. He found himself staring at a wall-sized portrait with a man pacing in front of a large burgundy armchair.

The man turned a venomous glare onto James, but after a brief moment, he stopped pacing and crossed his arms. "And which Potter would you be?" the man asked.

"How do you know that I'm a Potter?" James asked, looking around the room. There was a couch, fireplace, and a wall full of books that James had only heard of in abstract. On the wall opposite the portrait, there was an open doorway to what looked like a more private sitting room.

The man smirked, taking a seat in the chair. "This suite has been warded so that only a blood Potter is able to come in. You aren't Geoffrey, and you certainly aren't Victor, so who are you?"

"I'm James. Geoffrey is my father, and Victor was my great great grandfather. He's been dead since before I was born, though," James said. "Who are you?" he asked, taking a hesitant seat on the couch and watching the man.

"I am all that remains of Alessander Potter," the man said, taking a seat in his chair. He seemed to calm down, and James took that moment to inspect him.

Alessander had shoulder-length black hair and bright white eyes, and he was built like most Potters: tall, tan, and lean, with clearly defined muscles. He was wearing black trousers and a black silk shirt, but he wasn't wearing any shoes or socks.

"How are you a Potter?" James asked curiously. "I haven't heard of you before."

"No, I doubt you would have," Alessander said with a slight smirk. "I was Victor's twin brother, so I suppose I would be your great great grandfather."

"Then why -"

"Why was I locked inside a room, in a house that has been abandoned for an eternity?" Alessander asked knowingly, shifting in his chair. "I was bitten by a Dark creature and promptly disowned from the family. Theresa, your grandmother, I wager, found me - this portrait - under the bed in one of the guest rooms when she moved in, and she created this suite for me. She visited me regularly, until Geoffrey forbade her from coming in."

"He's the one who set up the ward allowing only Potters in?" James asked.

Alessander nodded, smiling a bit. "An intelligent Potter, how refreshing. Your father is a bore," he said. "Will you be moving in?"

"I will, after I graduate from Hogwarts, with my wife," James said with an scowl. "Why was this done to you?" he asked.

Alessander shifted in his seat. "Victor and I were twins, myself being older by about five minutes. Victor wanted to be the Potter Lord, so he found out a way to get me out of the picture. He convinced my father to send me on a trip, and during that trip I ended up getting bitten."

"Bitten by what?" James asked.

"A rogue vampire," Alessander said. He motioned at his eyes. "Before that, I had blue eyes," he commented. "Anyway, I returned home, and once my family learned that I was infected, I was properly disowned and confined here for the rest of my short life. I suppose Victor thought it was the perfect crime, but he didn't realize until after my death that I spent a large portion of the rest of my life creating this portrait."

James heard a noise from the sitting room and tensed. Nothing else happened, though, and he returned his focus to Alessander.

"Victor hid the portrait, which worked until Theresa found me and made this. She spent a number of years conversing with me and telling me what I had missed since my death, and then Geoffrey banished me back into my isolation," he said.

"How did you die?"

Alessander smirked coldly and opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by a knock on the door that hid the room.

"James?" Lily called. "Are you in there?" she asked.

"Your wife?" Alessander asked quietly.

James nodded and stood. "Unfortunately. I have to go," he said.

"You cannot leave me like this," the portrait said, sounding almost desperate. "I cannot last the eternal silence much longer."

"I won't. Can you move from that portrait?"

"I can."

James nodded. "I will put up some landscapes and empty portraits throughout the house so that you can move around, but I might not be back much until after I graduate Hogwarts," he said. "But I will be back."

Alessander nodded, standing up. "I will hold you to that, young Potter," he said before waving a farewell and disappearing from the portrait frame.

James looked at the portrait a moment longer before Lily pounded on the door and called out his name again. "I'm coming, Evans," he snapped before walking out of the room.

"What's in that room?" Lily asked once he walked out and shut the door behind him.

"A private room," James said. "Only blood Potters can come inside."

"But what is inside?"

"Family heirlooms," James muttered. "What did you want?" he asked, hoping she would follow along and change the subject.

She shrugged. "I found the loveliest little sunroom in the back of the house, facing an abhorrently overgrown garden, and I was wondering if you would join me for a quick lunch," she said. At the look on James' face, she held up her hands. "I won't try anything underhanded, I promise."

James waited a moment. "I very much doubt that," he said. "But I suppose lunch might not be such a bad idea."


	67. This is the way the world ends

**067. This is the way the world ends**

Word Count: 1,049

* * *

"Lucius?" Abraxas said as he walked up the hall to his son. "Are you done with classes for the day?"

"For the weekend, yes," Lucius said, quickly hiding his surprise at seeing his father.

Severus spoke up from Lucius' side. "All that we have left to do for classes are our final exams, sir," he said. "Not that Lucius needs to study much," he muttered so that only Lucius could hear him.

"Is it that close to your graduation already?" Abraxas asked, and Lucius nodded, looking over at Severus.

The shorter Slytherin took the hint and grabbed his bag. "I'll see you later," he said. "It was good to see you, Lord Malfoy."

"And you as well, Severus," Abraxas said. "Word reached me that you have been certified as the youngest Potions Master in history. Congratulations," he said.

Severus blushed slightly and ducked his head. "Thank you, sir," he said. He glanced over at Lucius. "Try to get something in your stomach that is not composed largely of alcohol," he muttered before walking back toward the library.

"He's not good with compliments," Lucius said. "Is there something that you needed from me?" he asked after a moment.

"I informed your Head of House that you are needed back at home, and he told me that neither he nor the Headmaster would allow you to leave unescorted," Abraxas said. "Have you been causing trouble lately?" he asked as he walked toward the main entrance of the school.

Lucius shook his head, fastening his school robes shut as his father motioned for him to follow him outside. "The Headmaster has been watching me because he thinks I'm going to betray our family so that he can dangle the hope of being with James over my head for the rest of my life," he said. "He does not take rejection well."

"I doubt a man in his position would," Abraxas said. "You will be returning to the school on Sunday evening, once our business at home has been completed," he said.

Lucius nodded, saying nothing else when he and his father reached the Apparition point. Abraxas put his hand on Lucius' shoulder and, with a near-silent pop, they disappeared from sight.

They reappeared seconds later in the sitting room of Malfoy Manor, where Lucius found himself face to face with his mother and the Dark Lord.

"What's going on?" Lucius asked, looking between the Dark Lord and his father.

"This is normally done in a ceremony with my followers, Lucius," the Dark Lord said quietly. "But given what has happened recently, I thought it best to make you an offer."

Lucius smirked slightly and glanced over at his parents, saying nothing.

The Dark Lord turned his attention over to Abraxas and Eva. "I need to speak with your son in private," he said.

Abraxas nodded and took Eva's hand, and the two of them left the room without another word.

Once the door had latched shut behind his parents, Lucius turned back to the Dark Lord. "You're either going to brand me or kill me," he said calmly. "Which is it?"

"I am allowing you to choose, Lucius. I will Mark you, and you will be forever connected to me, or refuse the Mark and I will kill you in this room," the Dark Lord said. He took a step forward and inspected Lucius for a moment. "If you choose the latter, I give you my word that I will make it quick."

Lucius was silent for a moment. "If I choose the first, you will keep me safe from Dumbledore," he said.

"Was that a demand?" the Dark Lord asked, though there was a slight smirk on his face.

"I would rather hope that it is a statement of fact," Lucius said. "He is already keeping me under almost constant watch, despite the fact that he thinks I am unaware of his surveillance. If he becomes aware that I have entered into your service, he would no doubt take a more aggressive stance as to my impending doom, which would put me in harm's way."

"I refuse to allow anyone but myself to harm those who serve me," the Dark Lord said. "I will do what I can to keep you safe if you take my mark."

Lucius smiled slightly before dropping to his knees and pulling his sleeve back to offer the man in front of him his left forearm.

"An excellent choice, Lucius," the Dark Lord said as he pulled his wand from within his robes. "Before I go through with this, answer this: What of your mate?"

"He has apparently chosen his path, My Lord, and I am not going to try to convince him otherwise," he said.

The Dark Lord frowned. "You will not change your mind about that?"

Lucius stared at the floor, doing his best to bite back the sudden tears. "I cannot promise that I will not waver from my decision, My Lord," he said quietly. "But my mate has made his choice, and he did not choose me."

"Very well," the man said. "This will hurt."

"I suppose this is the way the world ends, then?" Lucius asked as he felt an intense burning overtake his left arm. He bit down harshly on his bottom lip, doing his best to bite back a whimper as the pain spread throughout his chest, clenching around his heart and lungs, making it almost impossible for him to breathe properly.

"Would you prefer to experience something of a bang, instead of listening to your half-muffled whimpers? Perhaps an explosion?" the Dark Lord asked, his voice little more than a purr. He smirked, watching Lucius start to squirm in agony as his Mark embedded itself in the young Malfoy's arm.


	68. Flowers bloomed

**068. Flowers bloomed**

Word Count: 1,113

* * *

James hated to admit it, but Lily did have something of a green thumb with the gardens surrounding Godric's Hollow. After Geoffrey had created Portkeys for both James and Lily, the young woman had spent almost all her free time in the gardens, grooming it into something of a domesticated jungle.

Where the backyard had once been a knotted mess of overgrown weeds and deformed trees, it was now a maze of trees and various flora. Flowers bloomed in a rainbow of colors, and in the middle of the garden was large willow tree next to a pond now inhabited by a number of koi fish.

It was the final Hosgmeade weekend before exams started that James was finally able to bring Sirius and Remus to the house without Lily accompanying them.

"This house is incredible," Remus said, as they walked through the place. "You and Evans did a decent job restoring the place."

"Did Evans work on the back garden?" Sirius asked as they walked into the kitchen and grabbed food for an outdoor meal. At James' nod, Sirius scowled. "Well, what do you know, she does have something good about her," he muttered.

Remus grinned. "It's a good thing that she fell behind in her studies," he said. "Otherwise we'd have to put up with her whining about the insults."

James laughed and led the two out to the pond, where they made themselves comfortable under the willow tree. "I feel just horrible about that," he said. "Where did Peter go?" he asked after a moment.

Sirius shrugged. "He's been disappearing more and more often, and I don't really find myself caring all that much. He's not a threat to any of us, despite what he thinks," he said.

After they had finished eating the food that they'd brought out to the backyard, and Remus had dubbed the area safe, Sirius had transformed into his Animagus form and was currently chasing rabbits through the garden.

"You seem to have adjusted well to the house," Remus said as James sprawled out in the sun.

"I found an unexpected friend who has offered me an infinite amount of support," he said, closing his eyes. "Besides, I made it clear to Evans when we had our first lunch here that, despite the fact that we're married, I had no intention of changing my behavior toward her. We came to an agreement, of sorts."

"An agreement?"

"I would not deliberately jeopardize her hopes of working in our political world, and she would not try to interfere in my personal life any more than she already has," he said. "It took a little bit of negotiation, but she agreed to our terms in the end."

Remus hesitated, but smiled after a moment. "Well done."

Sirius bounded up to the two of them, barking happily and grabbing the hem of Remus' shirt with teeth. He pulled the werewolf to his feet and Remus ran with him to the back of the garden.

A few seconds later, an owl flew into the backyard and landed on James' knee. It held out it's leg, offering James a letter. He reached up and took it, and the owl flew away as soon as he opened the letter.

_My darling son, James, _the letter started out. That opening, along with the pink ink that letter was written with, proved that it was from Amanda, James' mother.

James hesitated, not sure if he should keep reading the letter. His mother was a known lush, and in the past, she had written letters to him while she was intoxicated. Those letters, though, had held hidden hexes that had landed James in the Hospital Wing on more than one occasion. Needless to say, his Gryffindor curiosity got the best of him and he read the letter in its entirety.

_My darling son, James,_

_I know you and your father have recently had a falling out. He mentioned once that it had something to do with one of the Malfoys, but he didn't say anything specific about it. To be honest, I cannot blame you - the Malfoys are an attractive family, and any intimate interaction with any of them is something to be proud of. It would tarnish the reputation of the Potter family almost irreparably, but regardless, it is something to be proud of._

_Your father was a good man. You don't want to admit this, even if you know it. We both know that he had a public and a private persona, and he had his share of secrets that neither you or I knew about._

_The reason I am writing this letter, James, is because your father is dead. He was killed early this morning, in Dublin, and I was called in to identify his body._

_I am very sorry about telling you this way, but you are a strong boy, and you can handle receiving bad news in a blunt manner._

_He was attacked by men working for the man believed to be a rising Dark Lord, and in the course of their attack, his heart was sliced in half._

_I tell you this because of the news that your father shared with me, regarding your association with the Malfoy family. They are a Dark family, and because of that, and your father's murder by Dark wizards, I beseech you to be extremely cautious._

_You are my son, James, and I do not want to stand over your dead body like I had to with your father just hours ago._

_Be careful, my darling son,_

_Amanda Potter_

James looked up from the letter, not saying anything as the news sank in.

Remus walked back up to him with Sirius at his side, still in his Animagus form. "Jim?" Remus asked, a grin on his face as he plopped down next to James. "What's going on?" He looked over at Sirius, who barked and reverted back from his Animagus form.

James looked at the two of them, handing Sirius his letter. "My father died this morning," he said.


	69. We loved climbing trees

**069. We loved climbing trees**

Word Count: 1011

* * *

Sirius dropped gracelessly onto the couch next to James and wrapped his arm around his friend's shoulders. "You, my friend, are not the same person you were at the beginning of the year," he said.

"Seriously?" James asked, and the two of them laughed quietly.

"I don't want to seem crass -"

"Since when?" Peter asked from his spot on the nearby armchair.

James and Sirius both leveled a glare on him.

"This is a first for you as well, rat," he snapped. "I don't remember you having a backbone at the beginning of the year."

Peter bared yellowing teeth at Sirius. "I didn't have a future set in stone at the beginning of the year, but now I know what's in store. What are you doing, mutt?" he snapped.

"Shagging Remus in every country on the European continent," Sirius said before pulling out his wand and setting up a Privacy Ward that allowed him and James a sense of privacy in the otherwise occupied Common Room. "Now, my pet werewolf knows how to keep a secret when he needs to, which is endlessly infuriating when I want to know what it is," he said. "But he's told me enough to know that the reason you've been so bummed out lately has just about nothing to do with your father's death, and he won't tell me anything more than that."

James remained silent for a moment, thinking of what to tell Sirius. He sighed, dropping his head onto Sirius' shoulder. "Do you remember in our first year, about a month after we met?" he asked. "When we got three weeks worth of detention for venturing into the Forbidden Forest?"

Sirius grinned, kissing James on the cheek. "Yeah, you broke your collarbone trying to get away from an owl. I'm never going to forget that."

"Thank you for that," James muttered.

"I've kept the memory preserved, so any time you want to revisit that memory, just let me know," Sirius said brightly. "But I'm going to assume that this trip down memory lane has some point other than you bringing up a time that you were unable to outwit a forest owl."

James shifted a bit. "Do you remember when Dumbledore came down and started lecturing us about how dangerous it was to fool around by the boundaries of the Forbidden Forest?" he asked.

Sirius, sensing that this wasn't the time to make another joke, just nodded silently and waited for James to continue speaking.

"After he finished his half hour lecture," James muttered. "He let you and Remus out and the two of you left the room. He asked me to stay back for a minute so he could talk to me in private," he said.

"Why?"

"Because I am the Heir to the Potter Estates, a highly esteemed and well respected Light family, he took a special interest in me," James said quietly. "A young man such as myself in such a delicate situation as that needed to have some guidance from those who were more experienced in the world, apparently."

Sirius frowned. "He didn't hit you or anything, did he?"

James smiled slightly. "The famous Albus Dumbledore would never raise his hand or his wand against a student, he assured me. He asked me why I had gone along with your plan when I had so much more to lose than a werewolf and a disowned member of the Black family," he said. "I told him that I didn't go along with anything, that we all went because we loved climbing trees and just enjoying the pleasant weather."

"And what was his response?"

"He told me that he would be keeping a close eye on me, just to make sure that I wasn't influenced to stray from the path that was expected of me," James said, though he seemed hesitant to speak about this.

Sirius silently squeezed James' shoulders in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. James seemed to appreciate the gesture, because he leaned more fully against Sirius.

"I told him it wasn't necessary, but Dumbledore insisted that he was doing this for my own good," James said, his voice barely more than a whisper.

The privacy ward shifted a bit and the two of them looked up to see Peter sending them a rude gesture and kicking at the edges of the charm's boundaries. He noticed them looking at him and bared his teeth, offering the two of them another rude gesture before walking away.

Sirius looked down at James. "So Dumbledore's pushing his so-called guidance into your life again?" he asked.

"He's been conspiring with my parents for the past few months about my future," James said, staring at the floor by his feet. "They are the only reason why I find myself married to Evans," he muttered darkly.

"I thought your mother was on your side."

James laughed hoarsely, still staring intently at the ground. "When I was too young to know what the smell of alcohol was, and too young to ask why she constantly smelled like alcohol, she was always on my side when I had disagreements with my father. Once she had a sit-down with Lily, about a month before the wedding, and realized that Evans didn't hate the smell of champagne on her breath, my mother was completely smitten with my wonderful fiancee," he said. "Now my mother is on Evans' side almost constantly.

Sirius remained silent for a long moment, not sure at all what to say.

James looked up at Sirius. "You don't have any dirty jokes or distracting stories to tell me this time? Nothing to make me feel better?" he asked.

Sirius took a deep breath, remaining silent for a long moment. "Not this time, Jimmy," he said quietly, setting his chin on the top of James' head. "Sometimes it's just better to be pissed off," he said. "It helps keep things perspective when you know there's something worth fighting for when it's out of reach," he added.


	70. It was all fine, until

**070. It was all fine, until...**

Word Count: 1,150

* * *

"Malfoy!" Slughorn snapped, almost startling Lucius out of the chair that he was sitting in.

"Is there something you needed, Professor?" Lucius asked, refusing to look up from his book as his Head of House approached him. "Because, to be honest, I'm not feeling all that amenable to assisting you in whatever you need," he said, turning the page.

"Don't get smart with me, boy," Slughorn snapped as he stopped just to the left of the chair that Lucius was sitting in. "Your mother sent an Owl to the Headmaster informing him that you were to be sent home immediately."

Lucius snapped his book shut and turned almost angry silver eyes onto Slughorn. "Is she alright?" he asked.

The man shrugged. "I don't know, and if your mother is anything like you, I don't really find myself caring that much," he said. "Word has reached me that you have been certified in your Apparition skills, so you have been given permission to make your way out to the Apparition point by the gate of Hogwarts. You can leave as long as you return in time to attend each of your final classes tomorrow," he said.

Lucius stood up. "I suppose I owe you some sort of gratitude," he said, arching an eyebrow suspiciously.

Slughorn crossed his arms over his chest. "Make it up to me by making sure that you are at the top of your year with your test scores," he said. He offered Lucius half a smile. "Your mother wants to see you at home. Go make sure she's not hurt," he said in an uncharacteristically gentle tone.

Lucius nodded, tucking his book into his pocket. "Thank you, sir," he said.

His Head of House grunted monosyllabically before walking away, and Lucius made his way into the room he shared with Severus.

Severus, as Lucius had expected, was sitting on his bed, making notes about how he might be able to improve his Wolfsbane potion. "What's got you in such a hurry at nearly midnight?" he asked without looking up from his parchment notebook.

"My mother sent an Owl to the Headmaster," Lucius said, tossing his book onto his bed as he grabbed his wand and tucked it into the sheath against his wrist. "I'll be back by morning, and Slughorn wasn't a complete asshole tonight," he said. He checked over himself to make sure that he hadn't forgotten anything, and once he was satisfied that he would meet his mother's approval, he headed out to the Apparition point and went straight home.

—

His mother was waiting for him in the hallway, a soft smile on her face. "Lucius, you look much better than you did on our last encounter," she said, drawing him into a hug. "Everything is alright, and I apologize for making this seem like more than it is. Come with me."

"I don't understand," Lucius said as he walked with his mother to one of the more private sitting rooms.

Inside the room were two people - one was his father and the other man didn't look at all familiar to him.

The stranger had dark hair that reached past his shoulders, tied back with a black leather cord, and he was wearing robes almost as expensive as Lucius' father's robes. From the brief look that Lucius took at the man, the man looked like the prime example of a Pureblood patriarch. Almost as much as his father did.

"Eva, thank you for collecting your son," the stranger said.

Eva nodded and took a seat the armchair next to the one Abraxas sat in, summoning a cup of tea.

It took only a moment after his mother sat down for Lucius to realize that his father's guest was just another wizard who wanted to gain the favor of the illustrious Malfoy patriarch. He only needed to stand near the man to realize that he was the Dark Lord, regardless of the Glamours that he was using to disguise himself.

"Father?" he asked quietly, approaching his father. "May we speak in private?" he asked.

Abraxas looked over at his wife and then the disguised Dark Lord, who both met his gaze evenly. "Go wait for me in my study," he said. "I'll be there in just a few minutes."

—

Abraxas walked into his study about five minutes after Lucius had taken a seat in one of the chairs facing his father's desk. "I pulled you out of Hogwarts because our Lord has happened across some disconcerting information."

Lucius paused. "I am graduating in two weeks," he said. "This couldn't have waited until then?" he asked.

"The Dark Lord, as you may know, is not particularly fond of your Headmaster," Abraxas said. "While it is not a particularly exclusive club, he has done some rigorous digging to gather as much information as he could on the man."

"What is this about, father?" Lucius asked.

"I am assisting with this research, and it was all fine, until..." Abraxas drifted off, apparently unsure of what he needed to tell his son.

"Until what?" Lucius asked, standing up and approaching his father.

Abraxas paused. "Until I stumbled upon evidence that proves Geoffrey Potter and Albus Dumbledore had an under the table deal that was cemented with James' marriage to a Lily Evans," he said.

Lucius crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't want to hear this, father," he said quietly. "I've only just started moving on with my life."

"You deserve to know the details behind this deal," Abraxas said.

Lucius shook his head. "James is not going to change his mind because of a deal that his father made. For all I know, he was a part of the negotiations," he said. "I'm going to go back to school and I don't want to talk about James again," he added, stepping around his father and leaving the room without looking back.

He Apparated back to the school and went back to his dorm room.

Severus looked up at him with a frown. "You aren't going to start drinking again, are you?" he asked.

"Not right now," Lucius replied with an obviously fake smirk. He pulled his shirt off and crawled into bed, doing his best to clear his mind though he knew sleep would not come easily that night.


	71. The lights went out

**071. The lights went out**

Word Count: 1,043

* * *

"I can't believe it!" Sirius said with a barking laugh as he, Remus and James walked out of the Potions classroom. "We're finally done with school!"

Remus grinned and looked over at Sirius. "James and I are, for sure, because we spent the appropriate amount of time studying for our exams. You, on the other hand, might find yourself repeating a year here," he said.

James started laughing, but Lily walked up to him. "What do you want, Evans?" he asked as the smile completely dissolved from his face.

"I want to congratulate you on finishing your exams," she said. Without waiting for a reaction, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his face down so that their lips met. As soon as the contact was made, she tightened her hold on James' neck and forcibly deepened the kiss.

A few minutes later, James shoved her off of him. "Keep your hands off of me, Evans," he snapped before walking away. Remus and Sirius both sent Lily a glare before running to catch up with James.

Lily stood where James had shoved her away from him, licking her lips as she watched James leave the dungeons. She turned her focus onto the two Slytherins who were just leaving the Potions classroom.

Severus was the first one to spot her, and he immediately fell silent.

Lucius paused, curious as to why his roommate had stopped speaking mid-sentence, but his eyes narrowed dangerously when he saw Lily Evans watching him with a triumphant look in her eyes. "What the hell are you doing down here?" he asked.

"I came to congratulate James on completing all of his exams," she said, looking Lucius over and once again licking her lips. "He is quite the superb kisser, isn't he?" she asked.

Lucius glared at her and made to take a step toward the redhead, but Severus grabbed Lucius by the upper arm to stop him. "If you claim he is skilled while you rape his mouth with your tongue, imagine how pleasurable he is when he wants to be kissed," he growled out.

Lily seemed to hesitate a moment, but then she looked at the diamond ring on her left ring finger. "Well, in the end, I won, didn't I?" she asked. "After all, he belongs to me now."

Lucius growled lowly, and his teeth seemed to sharpen dangerously as he did so. He stared at Lily with glowing mercury eyes, and Lily tried to take a step back, but she found herself backed up against the wall of the dungeon. Lucius snarled out a spell, and suddenly all the lights went out in the hall, leaving Lily to stare into the mercury eyes glowing brightly in the darkness.

"You cannot kill me here," she said, though she sounded unsure of that even to herself.

"I wouldn't test him on that," Severus said dryly from somewhere behind Lucius. "I doubt he would appeal to logic at the moment."

Lily felt two arms pin her shoulders to the wall behind her and she stared into the glowing eyes in utter terror.

Lucius smirked, and his sharpened teeth glinted eerily in the darkness. "I will let you live this time, whore," he growled.

"I am not a whore," Lily snapped, feeling a sudden rush of confidence as she heard soft footsteps. It took her a moment to realize that it had been Severus, walking away from the two of them.

"Would you prefer to be called rapist?" Lucius growled.

"I haven't -"

"You forced him into something that he refused to consent to. You violated him," Lucius snarled, sending chills down Lily's spine. "You stole him from me, and I would be able to kill you without facing a single repercussion."

"But -"

"I told you I will let you live this time," he said, baring his teeth. He glanced away from Lily and growled lowly at himself, as though he was arguing with himself about whether or not to let her live. Seconds later, he turned his glare back onto her. "As much as it pains me, I will abide by that. This time."

"What are you -"

Lucius grinned coldly. "The next time that I find you in such a vulnerable position," he said. "Alone, without witnesses or anyone to protect you."

"You -"

"The next time I find you in this situation, I will make sure that you do not live to walk away from it," Lucius said.

"Is that a threat?" Lily asked. Footsteps were approaching them, which meant that this was almost over, she thought.

Lucius grinned again. "That, Mudblood, was indeed a threat," he said.

Someone cleared their throat, and Lucius stepped back. His eyes seemed to dim a bit and the lights turned back on.

"Are you quite finished?" Severus asked, looking over at Lucius with a vague smirk. "Or are you still having fun?"

"I'm finished with this trash," Lucius replied, glancing dismissively over at Lily before looking back at Severus. "Where were we going?"

"You were taking me to the Hog's Head Tavern, so that we could get hammered now that we don't need to do anything but graduate," Severus said. He offered the blond a crooked grin. "And I believe you mentioned that you were going to pay for all of our drinks."

Lucius grinned. "I trust that we're going to be unable to walk by the time we're finished drinking," he said.

"I was thinking more along the lines of loss of consciousness," Severus said.

Lucius looped an arm into Severus', interlocking their elbows. "A drink for all that's bad?" he asked.

"And two for all that's good," Severus said with a nod.


	72. Shut your dog up!

**072. Shut your dog up!**

Word Count: 960

* * *

The day of graduation finally reached them, and no seventh year was exempt from the feelings of giddy anxiety - they were all ready to be done with their schooling, but the fact remained that they were now faced with the real world, of which they had very little experience. Adding onto the feelings of anxiety at finally reaching a new stage in their lives, there was the stress accompanied by an escalating conflict between Dumbledore and a rising Dark Lord.

Sirius Black, however, was somehow able to ignore those feelings in favor of recounting as many of his favorite adventures that he and the others had gone on and trouble the four of them had gotten into over the past seven years. He'd woken up at half past five in the morning and his storytelling had yet to even slow down at nine in the morning.

Fortunately, though, Remus realized when Sirius was getting close to going overboard, and as the three of them made their way down to the kitchen for a late breakfast, he posed a question that distracted Sirius, even if only for a moment. "And what of when we leave, Siri? What do you propose then?"

"We'll go out of our way to prank the teachers from out of school," Sirius said. "We'll all need code names, so that way we can communicate without having people eavesdrop properly," he said.

"Code names?" James asked.

Sirius nodded as he made his way into the kitchens and gathered as much food as he could carry back to their dorm room. "Yeah. We could be like the top ranking Aurors, and never refer to each other by our actual names, but rather by our aliases."

"Remy could be Moony, for obvious reasons," James suggested.

"He likes flashing his arse to unsuspecting civilians?" Sirius asked, half expecting the slap upside the back of his head. "Or the other reason?"

Remus grinned at Sirius. "You would be Blockhead, for the obvious reason."

"I prefer Padfoot, actually," Sirius said with an indignant sniff. "It is much more dignified," he said as he walked out of the kitchen, carrying what had to be his body weight in breakfast foods.

Remus grabbed a cup of tea on his way out. "You do realize that if you trip on your way back to the Tower and send that food over the staircases, any semblance of dignity that you like to think you posses will be lost, don't you?"

"I'm choosing not to think about that," Sirius replied. "Now Jimmy, you'll be Prongs. And Peter, if he lightens up enough to join us in this, we'll call him -"

"Wormtail?" James offered.

"Wormtail?" Sirius asked, thinking about it for a moment. "I like it. Those are our code names, and when we go on daring adventures, we will be known only as the Marauders. Dangerously attractive Wizards with the ability to charm any man or woman out of information, and the ability to leave small children unable to breathe because they'll be laughing so much," he said, flourishing a croissant for dramatic effect.

...

Back in their dorm room, after having gorged themselves with an overabundance of breakfast, James and Remus listened to Sirius describe the thrilling adventures that the famed Marauders would go on.

"We'll travel the world, and spread a love of pranks as we go," he said, spreading his arms and flopping back onto his bed with a grin. He stared up at the top of his canopy before belching loudly. "That was a good breakfast," he said.

Peter walked in from the bathroom, wrapped in a bright pink robe. "And what about the Slytherins who get in our way and try to stop us from spreading pranks throughout the rest of the world?" he asked, sounding genuinely curious.

"We'll slice their noses open and stuff their ears with navel lint," Sirius said with a boisterous laugh.

Remus and James laughed quietly, though James shifted a bit uncomfortably as Sirius then started listing everything he would do to the Slytherins who dared to get in the way of the Marauders during their Crusade of Capers.

...

Twelve thirty arrived all too soon, which was the time that all seventh years were to prepare for the upcoming graduation ceremony.

Sirius had been relentless with his ways to torment the Slytherins, and nothing Remus tried successfully stopped him.

After having listened to Sirius bad-mouthing Slytherins for the past three hours, though, James was understandably fed up and his anxiety at graduating later that day did not help him. Thinking about the Slytherins led to thoughts about Lucius, which inevitably led to James once again dwelling on what he'd done to Lucius. He still hated that he'd been forced to cut the Slytherin out of his life, and it was still grating on his nerves.

Finally, when Sirius stepped on James' last nerve, the Potter turned on Remus. "Do us both a favor and shut your dog up!" he yelled before storming into the bathroom to get ready for the coming ceremony.

The stunned silence that followed him did nothing to calm his nerves or to assuage his guilt, and he bit back the urge to go out and do something deliberately rash.


	73. I see you haven't changed

**073. I see you haven't changed**

Word Count: 1,064

* * *

Lucius approached James almost reluctantly, glancing back at his mother once before walking up to James and offering him a small smile. "I know you don't want to see me anymore," he said quietly, cutting James off before he could say anything. "My parents heard that your father died and that you were named Lord Potter," he said.

James nodded, deliberately avoiding Lucius' gaze. "He was supposedly attacked by Death Eaters while he was conducting business in Dublin," he said.

"Supposedly?" Lucius asked. He looked over James' shoulder and noticed Lily walking up to the two of them with an irritated look on her face.

"I cannot go into details," James said. "But my father's business associates were not all well-regarded, and he did not shy away from dealing with shady people. At any rate, he got what was coming to him," he said, almost accidentally.

"I beg your pardon?" Lucius asked.

"Nothing," James said quickly as Lily wrapped an arm around his waist.

She offered Lucius a clearly fake smile. "Lucius, I suppose that congratulations are in order for you. After all, it is not every day that one graduates at the top of their class," she said.

"Congratulations to you as well, Evans. After all, it is not every day that one graduates in the middle of the class, especially if she calls herself the brightest witch of her day," Lucius said coolly.

Lily flushed lightly before tightening her arm around James' waist. "Yes, well, I managed to wed the soon-to-be Lord Potter," she said.

James glared down at her and said nothing.

She ignored James and continued speaking to Lucius. "After all, such a rare position is not to be taken lightly."

Lucius smirked. "I see you haven't changed from your Mudblood roots, Evans," he said icily, glaring furiously at her. "For someone who wishes to blend in with the elite of our kind, you continue to act like nothing more than a petty child. Keep up this behavior and you'll end up dead before you get anywhere."

James noticed Lucius' parents walking up to them and cleared his throat, ignoring the way that Lily's eyes had welled up with tears.

Eva took note of the possessive hold that Lily kept on James and her eyes narrowed, but she turned her attention onto James. "Young Lord Potter," she said quietly. "Abraxas and I wish to extend our condolences for your loss. Your father was well-known, if not the most courteous, to us, and his death was unfortunate," she added.

Abraxas nodded, resting a hand on Lucius' shoulder. "How are you faring since his demise?" he asked.

James shrugged. "My father and I were not particularly close, sir, but the loss of a father is not something I can take lightly," he said. He noticed one of the Gryffindors that Lily had studied with and pointed her out when he noticed she was looking at Lily. "I think Savannah is looking for you," he said.

Lily watched him suspiciously for a moment before nodding. "I'll only be a moment, but your mother is expecting us back at Godric's Hollow," she said before walking over to the girl.

James looked over at Lucius, and then at his parents. "I know I have no right to ask this, and I will completely understand if you refuse to answer my question," he started, taking a deep breath to stabilize himself. "Death Eaters did not kill my father, did they?" he asked.

A moment of silence passed between the four of them, and it seemed for a while that James was not going to get an answer.

Finally, Abraxas spoke, though quietly. "It was not Death Eaters, no," he said. "The Dark Lord has his suspicions surrounding your father's recent actions and your subsequent behavior, but he was focusing no attention on your father when Geoffrey died. In certain circles, there are other speculations surrounding your father's death, but nothing conclusive has been established," he said.

"Thank you," James said quietly.

"You owe me an answer, James," Lucius purred.

James nodded, glancing at the ground before looking back up at the recently graduated Slytherin. "I know."

Before he could say anything else, though, Lily reappeared at his side. She looked at the Malfoys. "If you'll excuse us, we're expected back at Godric's Hollow," she said, activating both her and James' Portkeys back to the property.

Once they made it back to the house, James turned on Lily. "You say that you want to be in politics, don't you?" he asked coldly.

"I've already made the proper connections, James, and I start in one week's time at the Ministry," she replied, ignoring his tone.

"If you'd like to keep those connections, I would suggest that you learn how to handle situations like that in the proper manner. You will not last long if you make all your disputes as well-publicized as your spat with the Malfoys," he snapped, walking into the sitting room.

His mother was waiting for the two of them, sipping a Martini and reading the Daily Prophet as she did so.

"Mother," James said.

Amanda looked up at him and smiled loopily. "James. Where is your wife?" she asked, slurring her words. Lily walked around the corner, and Amanda's grin widened. "Lily! How wonderful to see you," she exclaimed, standing up and staggering over to the young woman.

"Amanda, are you alright?" Lily asked.

"She's drunk," James said bluntly. "As usual."

"Lily, darling, ignore my son. Join me in the sunroom for tea," Amanda said, already pulling Lily out to the room. "James, you are not allowed to join us until you stop being such a sourpuss."

James chuckled to himself before shrugging off the dress robes that he'd worn during graduation and made his way up to the room that hid Alessander's portrait.


	74. Too late for sympathy

**074. Too late for sympathy**

Word Count: 939

* * *

James made his way back inside, casting a number of Charms on himself to reverse the effect of having been caught outside when the rain had started up again. This was insane. Just when he thought he had finally gotten over breaking his mate's heart in the cruel way that he had, he discovered that he was carrying Lucius' child. Again.

He couldn't approach the former Slytherin after what he had done and graduation was only a week or so behind him, so he had nowhere to turn. He had a feeling that if he even so much as looked over at Lucius when he saw him out in the world, he would know that the Prince of Slytherin would consider it too late for sympathy for the mate who had spurned his advances after so extensively leading him on.

He refused to turn to Dumbledore with this knowledge. Given what the man had done to James' last child, seeking out the Headmaster was simply not an option. And Madame Pomfrey, for all her promises of confidentiality, was too vulnerable to Dumbledore for him to take that route.

St. Mungo's was untrustworthy as well, and not just due to the fact that both the Malfoy family and Dumbledore were significant contributors to the hospital's funding. In the past month, there had been six leaks regarding high profile Wizard families, and James was not going to subject himself to trusting a place with such flimsy security.

The only thing he saw fit to do was carry the child by himself, without telling anyone. It would keep both him and his child the safest, and that was the only thing he considered a priority at the moment.

Then came the only real threat to his secret - Remus. While he at first thought the werewolf would tell him to seek help while carrying a child, the lycanthrope remained oddly silent. He knew, though. James had no doubt that his pregnancy was something that Remus' extra-sensitive senses would miss.

The day that he thought he was busted came when he was walking out of the shower on a Saturday afternoon. Sirius and Peter were both gone after spending the night at Godric's Hollow, and James found that he did not really care at the moment where they had disappeared to. Without thinking about it, he dropped the Glamour and looked down at the noticeable round in his belly.

"James?" Remus asked as he approached James. "Is something wrong?" he asked when he saw James looking down at the noticeable pouch in his stomach.

James' eyes shot up and he silently begged Remus not to say anything.

Instead of the lecture that James expected of him, Remus reached down and hesitantly put a hand on the belly. "You're with child again," he said in an awed whisper.

"Please don't tell anyone," James found himself saying. It seemed surreal, this interaction with Remus. "Nobody can know about this. He'll kill the child," he said, putting his hands protectively on top of his stomach. "Dumbledore will kill this child, too."

"Dumbledore killed your last pup - er, child, didn't he?" Remus asked, prodding gently. This was clearly a delicate subject and not something that could be treated brashly.

James only nodded. "He'll take this one too, since I won't tell him who the other father is. He thinks that my silence proves that I am incapable of carrying my child to term and then raise him," he said quietly, hesitant to admit as much to the werewolf.

"And you cannot tell the second father you carry a pup? Is the second father who I think he is?" Remus hesitantly approached James and gently touched the slight protrusion. The baby moved a bit and Remus stared at his and James' hand in fascination. "Wow," he breathed out before looking up at James.

James looked away suddenly, not saying anything as his throat tightened dangerously.

A short silence came over them before Remus spoke again. "Obliviate me," he demanded gently, removing his hand from James' stomach and stepping away from him.

"What?"

"You heard me, James," Remus said. "You and I both know that it's dangerous for you to be carrying his child, even moreso without the second father's knowledge, and I refuse to be the reason that this pup does not get a chance to live," he said as he led James over to his bed and motioned for James to take hold of his wand.

James did so, not sure he should be doing this, but did as Remus instructed.

"Replace the Glamour," the werewolf said quietly, and once that had been done successfully, he pulled James' hand so James' wand was touching his forehead. "Do it, James."

"I can't," James said after a moment.

"Think of your child," Remus growled quietly.

James took a deep breath, looked Remus in the eyes and spoke. "_Obliviate_," he said quietly.

Remus' eyes rolled into the back of his head and he slumped back onto the bed, completely unconscious.

Without waiting for Remus to show signs that he was stirring, James quickly restored the Glamours that hid his pregnancy.

And it was done.


	75. I saw a typewriter

**075. I saw a typewriter by the side of the road**

Word Count: 1,111

* * *

Narcissa walked into the room that she shared with her husband of about three weeks and watched as he took a shirt from his closet and pulled it over his shoulders. "I thought you didn't have any plans today," she said, walking up to him and buttoning his shirt for him.

He put his hands on her waist and smiled slightly. "I will be back in time to escort you to the event tonight."

Narcissa smiled slightly and put her hands on Lucius' shoulders as she finished buttoning his shirt. "I would also appreciate it if you would be so kind as to remember the name of the family hosting the ball this evening," she said.

Without stepping away from her, he picked his cloak up off the back of the chair he'd set it on and pulled it over his shoulders. "I will do my best, Cissa, but I can make no promises," he said with a smirk.

"My sister is the host tonight," Narcissa said. "And if you forget her name, she's liable to cut out your tongue."

Lucius frowned as he fastened the cloak. "Lovely family you've got."

"Bella has not always been the most mentally stable, and she's been through some things recently that haven't helped her," Narcissa said, stepping back. "We need to be at Rabastan's home in Borodino at six."

"I thought her event started at eight."

Narcissa smiled. "I don't believe I need an excuse to visit with my older brother and my sister, Lucius," she said. "And apart from that, Rabastan mentioned wanting to meet you soon."

Lucius nodded. "I'll be back within the next two hours, Cissa. You can spend that time choosing the dress that you'll be wearing to the event," he said before Apparating out of the house.

He reappeared a few moments later standing in front of a wrought-iron gate, and to his surprise, a young woman appeared on the other side of the gate just seconds later.

"This is private property," she said politely.

"I am looking for a woman by the name of Keira," Lucius said.

The young woman nodded and pulled her waist length brown hair into a ponytail. "You're looking at her," she said. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Remus Lupin sent me a letter informing me that your facility here was something I might be interested in investing in," Lucius said.

"Lupin did? Right, you must be the Malfoy character," Keira asked absently as she opened the gate to allow Lucius enough room to walk inside. "He's never led me wrong before," she said. "I'm going to assume that you'd like to see what I do here before you seriously consider offering your support?"

Lucius nodded. "My name is Lucius," he said, and Keira nodded, quickly absorbing the information. "If you don't mind showing me around, I would appreciate that," he added.

Keira shrugged. "It's going to have to be quick," she said. "I've got a pregnant horse just about ready to give birth to twin foals and I don't plan on missing it."

"I am unable to stay too long myself," Lucius said, glancing back at the gate before following Keira down a gravel road. "I thought I saw a typewriter by the side of the road, next to the gate."

She grinned at him. "I won't go into too much detail, but it's one of many security precautions," she said. "Given that most of the people that I deal with are not the most pleasant, I need to make sure that the animals are kept safe."

Lucius paused. "What exactly do you do here?"

"I do my best to help familiars and Magical animals that have been abused. I offer them a sanctuary and bring them back to full health," she said. "I've also offered shelter to a few werewolves and other Dark creatures when they needed it."

"And that's how you know Lupin?"

"I know Remus because we both have ties to Fenrir Greyback," she said, grabbing his arm and stopping him just as a number of dogs ran in front of them. "Right now, I've only got about one hundred animals, which is good for us, but it's been feeling like the calm before the storm lately."

Lucius remained silent and followed Keira throughout the facility, listening to her occasional comments about some of the animals.

It took almost two full hours before they stopped, and Keira led Lucius into her sitting room.

"What do you think?" she asked as she offered him a glass of water.

"It is interesting, if unfortunate that we need a facility like this," Lucius said, taking a seat on the couch next to a sleeping fox cub. "How do you do all this by yourself?"

Keira shrugged. "I've been doing it for a number of years, and Greyback has always been willing to offer a few pack members when I've gotten in over my head," she said. "And more recently, James Potter has been helping me out when he can," she added.

Lucius' eyes narrowed slightly almost imperceptibly. "James Potter?"

Keira nodded. "I spoke with him while he was in his final year at Hogwarts, and he's been working with me on a regular basis. The canines seem to take to him particularly well," she said.

Lucius nodded. He glanced over at the grandfather clock against the wall, and frowned. "I have to get back to the Malfoy Manor," he said. "My wife's sister is hosting a ball this evening, and I am being forced to socialize with her siblings before this blessed event," he muttered.

"Well, it was nice to meet you," Keira said, walking with Lucius out to the gate.

As soon as he was on the other side of the gate, he turned back to her. "May I ask that you keep this meeting to yourself?" he asked

Keira nodded. "I abide by a strict sense of confidentiality, Lord Malfoy," she said.

"Thank you," Lucius said before Apparating back to the Malfoy Manor where Narcissa was waiting for him.


	76. Of fairies and unseen things

**076. Of fairies and unseen things**

Word Count: 1,225

* * *

_"Papa?" a ten year old Harry asked, walking up to James._

_"What is it?" James asked, not looking up from his article in the Daily Prophet. "Are you alright?"_

_"I should be asking you the same question, Papa," Harry said. "You're the one who got knocked up, not me. Where's Dad?"_

_James set down the paper and looked over at the boy. "I will thank you to never say anything like that ever again," he said. "And Lucius is out at the Ministry, straightening out a problem with the Weasley family."_

_"What did they do?"_

_"Molly somehow persuaded Arthur to file an injunction that would lead to us losing our custody of both you and your unborn sister," James said. "They sent a team of investigators over to the Manor while you were asleep and they almost dragged Luc to Azkaban without letting him why they'd stormed into the Manor in the first place."_

_Harry sat down on the chair next to James and put his hands on his father's seven month pregnant belly. "How is baby Tricia?" he asked, grinning when he felt the baby kick against his hands._

_"She enjoys kicking me," James said with a grin, putting his hands on top of Harry's hands. "I thought you were going to try to persuade me to let you stay with Sirius and Remus this weekend."_

_"Remus sent an Owl this morning," Harry said. "Siri got sick and he doesn't want to share his sickness with me."_

_James grinned. "What did he get sick with?"_

_Harry shrugged. "The letter said that Siri is hallucinating, and that he told Remus that he was talking to creatures. He was dreaming of fairies and unseen things that told him how to live forever," he said. "Uncle Sev said that Siri might have eaten some mushrooms."_

_"As often as I disagree with Severus, he might actually have a point this time," James said, standing up and summoning a traveling cloak. "I don't know when Luc is coming home, so you'll be coming with me to visit your favorite Potions Master. Go get your coat."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because it is December, because it is snowing, and because I told you so," James said. "Take your pick."_

_"Do I get any other choices?" Harry asked, grinning mischievously as he started pulling his winter cloak on._

_"Only one that I can tell you when you are old enough to Apparate on your own," James said. "Let's go, and I don't want to have to listen to Severus ranting about how you can't behave yourself," he said as he picked up a fountain pen that Severus had fashioned into a Portkey for him while he was with child. _

_Harry grinned. "It was his fault in the first place," he said. "He bet me that I wouldn't be able to summon an orange from the kitchen while I was in his sitting room," he said._

_"You broke his window," James said, his lips twitching upward. "In two places."_

_"He fixed the window right after it happened," Harry said._

_James grinned and offered the Portkey to Harry, who grabbed the pen-cap. "Was it worth it?" he asked._

_"I summoned the orange, if that's what you're asking," Harry said just before the Portkey activated itself and pulled them both into the sitting room in Spinner's End._

_Severus was sitting on one of the sofas, reading the Daily Prophet while he waited for James to arrive. "How courteous of you to be on time," he said as James tucked the Portkey into his pocket. "For once," he muttered, setting the newspaper off to the side and looking up at his guests._

_Harry grinned from his spot at James' side. "Hey Uncle Sev, can I have an orange?" he asked._

_"Consider yourself lucky that I have to attend to your father, brat," the Potions Master said with a smirk. "Is she still kicking?"_

_"Almost constantly," James said, resting his hands on his stomach as the child delivered a particularly harsh kick. "It's almost like she does it on purpose."_

_Severus' smirk grew as he stood up. "Fantastic," he said. "I like the child already." He turned his attention to Harry. "You, on the other hand," he started, kneeling down to be closer to eye level with the boy._

_Harry grinned. "You like me and you know it, Uncle Sev."_

_"It seems I am cursed by that affection," he said with a mock-sigh. "Your python has been missing you since your last visit."_

_"Did you find him a mate?" Harry asked hopefully._

_Severus paused, looking up at James silently._

_After a moment, James held up his hands. "I get it," he said. "I'll be waiting for you in the kitchen," he said before walking out of earshot._

_Once Severus was satisfied with the distance that James had put between them, he turned his focus back to Harry. "I found a mate for your boy a little while ago, and I was going to save this as a surprise, for when it got closer to Christmas for you," he said. "The female laid eggs a little while ago, and it won't be too long before they hatch."_

_"Really?" Harry asked, his eyes widening almost comically. _

_"As long as you promise not to touch the nest, you can go see it," he said._

_Harry nodded. "I promise."_

_"It's in the bedroom off to the left," he said. "I changed it into a little jungle, so be careful."_

_Harry nodded again._

_Severus smirked, twitching his head in the direction of the bedroom. "I'll come get you once I finish with your father," he said._

_Harry grinned and scurried off to the room that Severus had mentioned._

_As soon as the door shut behind Harry, Severus straightened himself and made his way into the kitchen, where James was waiting. _

Another kick woke James up, and his hands immediately went to his stomach.

Two more kicks had him in the bathroom, vomiting up the small dinner he'd eaten just a few hours ago.

After his stomach calmed itself, he leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. "This is going to be harder than I thought," he whispered before drifting off to sleep.


	77. It might be worth a bit of cash

**077. It might be worth a bit of cash**

Word Count: 1,303

* * *

The last thing James expected to do mere days after graduating Hogwarts was to show up at Spinner's End - Severus Snape's home - with no advance notice to Severus, and eight months along with his and Lucius' child, but here he was. He knew it was late and he knew he was not at all expected, and in all likelihood Severus would turn James away the moment he saw him, but the newly appointed Potions Master was the only person he thought would be able to help James while also keeping his pregnancy a secret.

After all, he had done so much for Remus. While he had not been able to cure the curse of Lycanthropy, he had been able to develop a potion that allowed Remus to remain in almost full mental control while he was in his werewolf form.

He knocked on the door, and for once in his eight months along, he allowed the Glamour hiding the pregnancy to drop.

A moment later the door opened to reveal a fully awake Severus Snape. "What are you doing here?" he asked upon recognizing James. He looked down to see James' child-laden belly and then ushered him inside, looking around outside for a moment before following James into the sitting room.

Once James leaned against the wall and rested his hands on his stomach, he looked up at Severus. "I didn't think you'd let me inside," he admitted.

"You are carrying a child, and the only likely possibility is that Lucius is the other father," Severus said, ignoring the shocked look that James sent his way. "Lucius was my dorm-mate for our entire schooling at Hogwarts, Potter. After a while you learn when your dorm-mate is mattress-dancing with Gryffindors," he said.

"Great. How many other people know about this?"

"None," Severus said. "For now."

James' eyes widened. "You can't tell anyone," he said, not liking the way his voice came out in a pleading manner. It sounded far too much like he was begging to the one man he tormented, up to a point, at school.

"I'm sure something like this will be valuable to me now that you have not denied the fact that the child is indeed yours and Lucius'. It might be worth a bit of cash to me," he said.

James shook his head. "Take an Oath of Secrecy. No one can know about this."

Severus' eyes narrowed suspiciously as he motioned for James to take a seat on the couch in front of him. "Does Lucius know that he has fathered a child with you?" he asked hesitantly. Should things not work out and the secret escape, no doubt Lucius would kill Severus for keeping such a secret from him.

"If he knew, do you really think I would be coming to you as my only hope?" he snapped.

"How could you keep something like this from him?" Severus asked angrily. "Do you know how severe of a depression he fell into after you rejected him in school?"

"He looked fine when I saw him in classes," James said, crossing his arms and looking away. This was not what he was looking for when he had approached the Potions Master for help, and if it was the only thing he got from the man then he saw no other choice than to approach Lily, tell her the truth, and hope that she would be the one to give him the help that he clearly needed.

"He used a bloody Glamour, you dolt," Severus snapped, but then he sighed, rubbing his hand across his face. "You spent the better part of a year playing the part of faithful mate and you think your sudden refusal to have anything to do with him had no effect whatsoever on him?" he asked. When he was met with silence, he looked over at James, who was stubbornly glaring at the rug in the sitting room. "Why did you come to me?"

"You're the only one I know who would be able to help me while keeping your mouth shut about everything," James muttered, still not looking at Severus. If Severus was reading James correctly, it seemed as though he was almost ashamed of needing to ask for the help he so clearly needed. "But I will not hesitate to Obliviate you of this encounter and go to someone else who can help."

"And who would that someone else be?" Severus asked, taking a seat across from James and summoning two glasses of water. "Your wife, I suppose?" he asked, unable to keep the biting tone out of his voice.

"Could you please keep Lily out of this? She's suspicious enough of the fact that I keep my distance from her and the fact that I seem to be apt to disappear without any notice."

"Lucius will likely kill her for stealing his mate when he discovers that you birthed his son, no matter what the circumstances truly are," Severus said as he offered James the second glass of water. "How long to you intend to hide his son's existence from him?"

"Lily has not stolen me away in any manner. I still fully belong to Lucius, and I am playing the part of faithful mate by hiding his son's existence from him."

Severus paused as he allowed what he had just been told to sink in. "How do you convince yourself that you are being a faithful mate by staying away from your mate and hiding your child from him?" he asked, his voice calming and curious rather than cold and disapproving.

"When Lucius told me that he had no choice in taking the Dark Mark and I knew I could never openly defect from the Light Side with him, I needed to know what to do to avoid Lucius getting needlessly tortured. When I fell pregnant with the first child, I figured out what I needed to do to keep Lucius safe."

"What do you mean, the first child?" Severus asked, focusing on that part first.

"It happened about a month after the winter holidays. I got pulled up to the Headmaster's office and he terminated my pregnancy. He didn't manage to figure out who the other father was, but about a month after that he started pressing me to take Lily as my wife."

Severus nodded, pushing all his emotions to the side. Now was the time to absorb as much information as he could, and he would find the right time to react later. "And how does avoiding anything and everything to do with Lucius Malfoy constitute acting as a faithful mate?" he asked.

"If I stayed away from Lucius, he would not be tempted to put my life before his and he would then be at risk for Dumbledore to put him in Azkaban. If he knew he had a child he might try to pull me to the side of the Dark Lord, which would then put him at a greater risk should Dumbledore get his hands on him."

"You are giving Dumbledore far too much credit and Lucius not near enough credit," Severus said, though he received no answer. When he looked up at James for an answer, he was shocked to see the Gryffindor biting his bottom lip and holding back tears.


	78. If you could see me now

**078. If you could see me now**

Word Count: 1,007

* * *

James stood in front of the mirror in his bedroom, glaring at his reflection without any of the Glamours that normally hid his pregnancy.

Alessander watched him from one of the nearer portraits, a confused look on his face. "James," he said after ten minutes of watching James glaring at his reflection. "I completely understand the fascination with an intensive look at yourself, the need to peer into your own soul to see the kind of person that you really are, but I honestly believe that you are taking this too far."

James said nothing, and Alessander moved into the portrait resting on the wall immediately next to the mirror.

"This needs to stop, James. You have been looking at yourself for almost an hour, and it is becoming incredibly boring watching you watch yourself," he said with a frown.

"Lucius," James said after another long moment. "If you could see me now, what would you think? Would I be ugly to you?"

Alessander sighed heavily. "He would think you are pregnant with his child, James," he said. "Though I am sure you see something far worse in your mind's eye."

James looked up at him, tears brimming in his eyes. "I look like a whale," he said. "A fat, bloated, beached whale."

Alessander smirked. "You sound just like Theresa did when she was pregnant," he said. "Almost verbatim, if I remember correctly."

"It is incredibly reassuring to think that I sound like my grandmother," James said, pouting. He carefully took a seat on the floor of the bathroom and watched Alessander for a long moment. "Why did this happen to me?"

"As I recall, when two men decide to become intimate and their magic is appropriately aligned with each other -"

"No, I mean why did everything happen to me? Everything, from me accepting that stupid bet to sitting here now, looking like a whale," James said, wiping the unshed tears from his eyes. "If I had never started this, I wouldn't be here now, and I wouldn't feel like shit."

Alessander hesitated, choosing instead to sit back on the chair in the background of the picture. "If you had never started this, you would be without Lucius," he said quietly.

James was silent for a long moment. "I'm without Lucius right now, Alessander," he finally said.

"Not entirely," Alessander said. He offered the pregnant Potter a soft smile. "You are carrying the child that you and he created together," he said.

James hesitated, looking down at his ten month pregnant stomach. He felt the child kick and he put his hands on his stomach. The child kicked again and James smiled. "I would have hoped that the hormone attacks like this would have stopped before now," he said. "It wears me out."

"I don't doubt that," Alessander said. "Is he an active child?"

"He kicks every once in a while, but he doesn't seem overly vindictive," James said, looking at his stomach. He paused a moment before looking up at Alessander. "My grandmother came to you for reassurance?" he asked.

"When your grandfather was not the most compassionate when it came to your mother's hormone attacks," Alessander said. "I did my best to help her through it, but considering that I have never been, nor can I ever be, with child." He shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "There's also the fact that the most intimate situation I've ever been in resulted in my death and subsequent murder," he added.

James frowned. "How can you call being attacked by vampire intimate?" he asked.

Alessander smirked a bit. "It is a bit difficult for me to explain to someone who has never been the victim of an attack," he said.

"Try," James said. He summoned a glass of chocolate milk and watched Alessander, hoping that the man in the portrait wouldn't decide to leave without saying anything and disappear from sight for a few days.

He hummed quietly, resting his chin in the palm of his hand and said nothing for a long moment. "With every beat of your heart, blood pumps through your body, keeping you alive. Since you are a wizard, you are also kept alive with the magic laced throughout your body," he said. "The strongest point in your natural magic encases and strengthens your heart, and the arteries in your body pump the most potent mix of blood and magic. Vampires seek out that mix."

"What's with the science lesson?" James asked, finishing off his chocolate milk and tapping his wand against the top of the glass to refill it.

"I told you that it is difficult to explain what you want to know, James," Alessander said. "Apart from that, before my death, I learned as much as I could about vampires," he said. "So, if you really want answers, you will be quiet and let me share with you what I know."

James remained silent, resisting the urge to stick out his tongue at Alessander.

"As I was saying before you interrupted me, vampires seek out the spots in the body of their prey that will provide them the easiest access to their sustenance," he said. "Now, imagine someone focusing a large bit of their magic, wrapping it around your life magic, and fusing with it. It only lasts for a little while, because of the fact that you either end up dead or you end up turned into a Vampire yourself." He shrugged, falling silent, and looked back at James.

James said nothing, looking back down at his stomach when the baby kicked again.


	79. The duo bowed to tumultuous applause

**079. The duo bowed to tumultuous applause**

Word Count: 1,080

* * *

Lucius walked down the hall toward a private meeting room, wondering what this meeting was about - all he knew was that the Minister had requested the heads of the most affluent families in the British, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh communities for an impromptu meeting. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked over at his father.

"Do you have any idea what this meeting is about?" Abraxas asked.

"None whatsoever," Lucius replied. "I thought you wanted to spend some time relaxing now that I've been formally named the Lord Malfoy," he said with a smirk.

Abraxas smirked. "I heard about this meeting and I decided to see what darling Cornelius is planning this time," he drawled.

"You announced your formal retirement less than two weeks ago."

"Then allow me the chance to watch my son in action," Abraxas said. "Or would you rather not have me working with those who trust me to find out what Fudge is up to?" he asked.

Lucius smirked. "Your assistance is always greatly appreciated, Father, but some advance knowledge would be nice," he said.

—

The meeting room was filled with almost eighty Pureblood family Lords, and Lucius was not the only one who had a formerly retired patriarch with him. As Lucius moved to take a seat next to his father, he noticed a number of Muggleborns congregating on the opposite side of the room.

"This does not bode well for us," Abraxas muttered. He looked at his son and then over at the older man sitting next to him. "Quentin, how are you?"

"Concerned," the man said. "The Minister must be losing his mind."

Lucius looked over at the man.

"The Dark Lord has been increasing his attacks, and gathering everyone in one place like this is just asking for trouble," Quentin said. "Making it public is just plain stupid."

Abraxas opened his mouth to respond, but the Minister cleared his throat and called for the attention of everyone in the hall.

"I want to thank all of you for coming on such a short notice," he said. "I realize that this may seem reckless to some of you, but I can assure you all that we have all the best security measures in place to make sure that nothing happens while we are all here." He looked around the room, frowning when he noticed that the Muggleborns invited in had all been pushed back to the worst seats in the room. "There has, for too long, been a divide in this world between the Purebloods and the Muggleborns."

"There remains a reason for that," Quentin muttered darkly, glaring at the Minister.

Fudge cleared his throat again. "I plan on doing my best to bridge that divide," he said, and the people crowd almost immediately started talking quietly amongst themselves.

"It's not going to happen," Quentin snarled almost inaudibly.

His son put his hand on Quentin's shoulder and shook his head slightly.

Lucius looked over at Abraxas. "I don't remember Quentin acting quite so feral," he said quietly.

"I tried to keep the Quentin away from you when you were a child," Abraxas replied. "His family isn't as affluent, but Quentin himself is the reason why his family has been accepted into the social circles that we are in."

"And why is that?"

"I am an ambassador for Fenrir Greyback's pack," Quentin said as he looked over at Lucius. His eyes flashed amber and he grinned when Lucius evenly met his gaze. "Not many are willing to meet my gaze once they learn of my curse," he said. "You've met one of my pack before."

Abraxas looked over at Lucius, arching an eyebrow.

Lucius nodded. "I shared a room with Severus Snape during my schooling at Hogwarts, and he is a close friend of mine," he said.

"Well then, Lord Potter, it is an honor to meet you," Quentin said, nodding his head slightly to Lucius.

Cornelius cleared his throat loudly, gathering most of the attention back to him. "Given the current events in our world, we cannot afford to continue this segregation. Therefore, it is my honor to announce the opening of the Muggle Outreach Department of the Ministry," he said before looking into the crowd of Muggleborns. "This department will be headed by one of the most trustworthy members of my staff, Mrs. Lily Potter."

Lily stood up from the crowd and sauntered up to the front, where Fudge took her hands and turned her to face the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce Lily Potter, the Head of the Muggle Outreach Department," he said. One of the Minister's assistants started clapping, which slowly spread throughout the crowd.

Lily looked over at Cornelius, smiling widely at him, and the duo bowed to tumultuous applause.

A number of the Pureblood Wizards, Lucius and Abraxas included, abstained from applauding, instead choosing to watch the Minister suspiciously.

It didn't take long for the crowd to disperse, but Lucius and Abraxas stayed back to talk with Quentin.

Quentin watched his son lead Abraxas just out of earshot, the two of them talking about how they might be able to limit the reach of the department. "Greyback isn't going to be pleased with this information," he said, once he was sure that Abraxas was out of earshot. "We have done our best to keep ourselves out of the focus of Muggles, and this Mod-squad is going to make it that much harder to stay hidden."

Lucius shrugged. "Certain members of your pack have managed to stay relatively hidden, haven't they?"

"Lupin does his best to blend in, but if he keeps suppressing his creature, it will drive him insane," Quentin said. "If you cross paths with him, tell him that he will be welcomed if he chooses to come back to us."

Lucius nodded and Quentin smiled a bit before walking out of the room.


	80. He had a voice like silk

**080. He had a voice like silk**

Word Count: 1,109

* * *

Severus opened the front door to his house, not all that surprised when he found James standing there, glaring at the ground in front of him. "It's three in the morning, Potter," he snapped. "What do you want?"

James didn't say anything for a moment, still glaring at the ground.

"I have no interest in childish games, Potter. Either tell me what you want or get the hell back to your house," he snapped.

He hesitated for just a moment longer before looking up at the Potions Master. "Evans attacked me," he muttered, opening his robes to show a bloody, wounded torso. "I wouldn't sleep with her, so she attacked me."

Severus bit back any number of curses as the full realization of what happened to James sank in. "Get inside before someone sees you, Potter," he said finally, stepping aside to allow James to walk into the house. He shut the door and immediately strengthened the Privacy wards surrounding his house. "Now, what happened?" he asked. "And try not to spare any details in this missive."

"You're just interested in listening to how I got my ass kicked," James said.

"That's beside the point," Severus said, motioning at the couches in the sitting room.

Once he and James had made themselves comfortable on the couches, Severus summoned a cup of tea for both him and James.

Severus paused before he took a sip of his tea. "I'm going to do my best to stay patient with you, given what you're going through, but I am not exactly the most sociable person," he said. "I'll do what I can to be patient, but I will not make any promises."

James nodded, staring at his cup of tea suspiciously. "I came back from the Haven and Evans cornered me in the kitchen, telling me that she wanted to consummate our marriage," he said.

"You've been married for almost a full year, Potter. Are you telling me that you've never slept with your wife?" Severus asked.

"Have you forgotten about the whole 'mate of a Wood Elf' thing, or are you just an idiot?" James snapped. "During the honeymoon, I Obliviated Evans into thinking that we'd fucked, and she gushed about it enough with my mother that everyone just assumed we'd done what newlyweds normally do."

Severus glared at James momentarily, biting back a number of insults. "You can drop the Glamours," he said finally.

James said nothing, but allowed his Glamours to drop, revealing an incredibly swollen pregnant belly in addition to the wounds on his upper body. He took a deep breath, staring intently at the floor as he continued speaking. "I told her that I had no interest in sharing a bed with her, and she went crazy. It got worse when I told her that I wouldn't have sex with a woman unless men disappeared and both of my hands fell off. She almost killed me."

"I can see that," Severus muttered. He reached for his wand and cast a number of diagnostic and healing spells that he knew would not harm either James or the child. The results of the diagnostic spells were nothing good, and he couldn't stop himself from muttering darkly and wishing pain upon Lily Evans.

"Is it really that bad?" James asked.

"Let me put it this way, James," Severus said as he stood up and approached the Potter. "If you hadn't taken as many extra precautions when it came to your child, it is very likely that you would have suffered an almost immediate miscarriage. Not to mention the fact that your magic is going to be repairing your internal organs for the next week or so," he said, offering James his hand.

James stared at the hand warily for a moment, not sure what Severus was up to this time.

"It is a hand, Potter," Severus snapped after a minute. "I can assure you that it will not harm you. I am attempting to help you stand up so that I can take you into the bedroom."

A sly smirk appeared on James' face as he took the hand and stood as close to the Potions Master as he could, though his ten-month-pregnant stomach hindered him quite a bit. "I was unaware that you were the type to take advantage of a pregnant, injured man," he purred.

"Your attempts at seduction might prove more successful if you weren't carrying the spawn of another man," Severus said, returning the smirk with one of his own. "And since I know that you have not forgotten about Lucius, I am forced to assume that you are just an idiot."

James pouted, but followed Severus into the spare bedroom that he had used the last time that he'd needed to stay the night. "I haven't forgotten an inch of Lucius," he said, adopting an odd smile. "I remember he had a voice like silk, and he could bring me to the point of ecstasy without using anything but that voice," he said.

"I do not care to know intimate details of your mate, Potter. If you care to reminisce, wait until I am no longer in the room."

"How long are you keeping me here?" James asked as he sat on the bed.

"Until I am sure that you have completely healed from your attack. I don't suppose you're going to report this to the proper authorities, are you?"

James shook his head. "Too many secrets would be pushed out into the public's attention, and I refuse to put people in harm's way just because Evans can't handle the truth," he said.

Severus hesitated. "I'll check on you when the sun is closer to rising over the horizon," he said. "The more intense healing will start in about an hour, and it will be painful, so be prepared for that," he added.

James nodded.

"Scream if you need anything," Severus said with a smirk as he straightened himself and walked out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

James squirmed into a comfortable position and closed his eyes, doing his best to get some sleep before the pain came.


	81. In so many words

**081. In so many words**

Word Count: 1,196

* * *

James sat on the couch, rubbing his very pregnant stomach and relishing the feeling of not wearing any Glamours. Soft tunes of music piped throughout the room, helping him relax further.

Alessander peaked around the portrait frame and grinned, taking in the sight before him before walking into the picture of the portrait and ignoring the complaints he received from the previous occupant - an old woman that had been pleasant enough with him before James started to favor talking with him. "You make an adorable father, Jim," he said, settling himself into the overly plush purple armchair.

"Was that a compliment from you, gramps?" James asked with a grin.

"Only if you promise to never call me 'gramps' again," Alessander said. "I heard music coming from this room and I thought it might have been Evans."

James shook his head slightly, finally looking up at Alessander, though his hands did not stray from his stomach as his child kicked lightly. "She is out of the country for the next week or so. She mentioned something about shadowing the Minister to get a feel for the requirements of his job," he said.

"That isn't all she's going to be feeling, I wager," Alessander said with a smirk. "Is she aware that going on this trip is going to confirm all the rumors about her having an affair with the man," he said.

"I frankly don't care anymore. She's been going to Dumbledore, complaining that I am unwilling to satisfy her needs, which is disturbing enough," James said. "But he has come to me and told me that neglecting my wife's needs will look worse in the public's eye than her having an affair with the Minister."

"Bullshit."

"That's what I wanted to tell him, but being around the man without letting him know that I'm pregnant is difficult enough as it is," James said.

"Do you know what you're having?"

"I don't, no," James said, rubbing his stomach as the child started kicking again. "But Severus does."

"Severus? Would he be the Potions Master who has been monitoring the health of you and your child?" Alessander asked, shifting uncomfortably in the plush chair.

James nodded. "He refuses to tell me, but I have a feeling that it's a boy," he said. "Either way, I'm going to name Severus the godfather, even if only to irritate the man."

"What of your lycanthrope friend?"

"Remus was always going to be a godfather, and Sirius is a part of that," James replied.

"So tell me, how did this Potions Master tell you that he wasn't going to tell you whether you're carrying a boy or a girl?"

"He told me, in so many words, that only he was going to know if it was a boy, a girl, or a goat," he said.

Alessander chuckled a bit, sounding much more dignified than he looked as he shifted yet again in the chair. "I would like to meet that man someday," he said absently.

James' lips twitched upward in a slight smirk. "I'll be sure to bring that up to him within the near future," he said, shifting a bit in his seat. He grabbed his wand and made a horizontal slicing motion and the music shifted from something calm to a slightly more familiar tune.

"What music are you listening to?" Alessander asked once he realized that he recognized the music that was playing in the background.

"Before you came in, it was Stravinsky's Firebird Suite. Right now, though, it's Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake," James said. "Severus suggested that that I allow the child a chance to listen to decent music before I decided to corrupt him with the music that I prefer." He grinned. "Apparently, he doesn't favor the sounds of percussion."

Alessander opened his mouth to respond, but hesitated. "I thought you were going to Haven today," he said.

James shook his head. "When I went up there last month, I let it slip that I was pregnant," he said. "It was an accident on my part, but she told me that she didn't want to take any chances that either my child or myself would get injured while I worked with the animals."

"How kind of her," Alessander said dryly.

"She didn't believe me at first, so she took me into her office and made me drop the Glamours," James said, grinning. "Of course, when she realized that I was telling the truth and that I am almost fully to term, she almost fainted."

Alessander frowned. "What about the wolves that you were working with when you first started helping out?" he asked.

"I made her promise to call me if any of the pack had an emergency," James said, slowly standing up. "Based on the way they've been behaving, both Keira and I are thinking that the alphas are going to go after a baby girl. We're doing almost everything we can to protect her, but if the rest of the pack wants her dead, Keira doesn't particularly want to get into the middle of it."

"From what you've told me of her in the past, that seems like the exact opposite of what she'd do."

James shook her head. "While she never wants to see any of the animals at Haven die, she also knows the basics behind pack nature. I think she's gotten caught up in the middle of something like that before, and it didn't end well, so she probably learned the hard way not to interfere," he said.

Alessander hesitated. "Why would the pack want to kill one of their own?"

"I did some reading about it, and apparently, if one of the pack members is a clear threat to the safety of the pack, the alphas will do their best to eliminate that threat and restore stability to the pack," he said. "In the wild, it would be to just remove the threat from the pack, but because these wolves have been trained to fight, their first instinct seems to be to kill any potential threat."

Alessander remained silent for a long moment, not sure what to say.

A few minutes later, once James was steadily on his feet, he turned off the music and stretched a bit.

"Where are you going now?" Alessander asked, not moving from the purple armchair.

"I'm hungry, and I want to eat down in the kitchen," James replied, already halfway out of the room. "You can come with me if you'd like," he said over his shoulder.

"Not at the moment," Alessander murmured, though he was sure that James hadn't heard him.


	82. Why don't you get a real job?

**082. Why don't you get a real job?**

Word Count: 899

* * *

James walked into Godric's Hollow and pulled his recently-ruined t-shirt off as soon as he had kicked the door shut behind him.

"Well, while performing a strip tease as soon as you come inside is incredibly fascinating, Jimmy, I thought you wanted Evans to keep her hands off of you," Sirius said from his seat on the couch. "Though you look like you've been working out harder than you did back when you were playing Quidditch."

Remus laughed quietly as he stood up and walked over to James. Sirius draped himself over James' shoulders. "What happened to your shirt?" he asked.

James looked at the shirt and grinned. "I'm not hurt."

"I know," Remus said. "It's wolf blood," he said.

Sirius looked down at James' shirt for the first time. "Damn, Jimmy. What the hell happened?"

"I've been helping Keira out at the Haven," James said. "And I've been focusing pretty much all my time on a bunch of wolves that were brought in a little while ago. One of them had been critical since she first got here, and she was attacked by one of the older ones."

"I didn't think wolves attacked their own pack members," Sirius said, looking at Remus.

"They don't. Not normally, anyway," James said. "But these guys were captured from the wild and trained to fight each other to the death." He tossed his shirt into the fireplace and took a seat on the couch.

Sirius dropped onto the couch next to James and pulled Remus into his lap.

"So where did the two of you go, anyway? You completely disappeared after graduation," James said.

Remus smiled. "We all have our little secrets, Jim, " he said, sharing a knowing look with James.

"Would you stop trying to sound cryptic, Moony?" Sirius asked, tugging on Remus' ponytail. "We travelled the world for a few months, and we finally found a place. Remy even has room to stretch his legs," he said.

James leaned back in his spot and grinned. "Where did you finally settle in?"

Before either Sirius or Remus could respond, Lily walked into the house, carrying a number of files. "James, I didn't think you would have company here today," she said once she noticed Sirius and Remus on the couch next to him. "And put on a shirt, would you?" she asked.

"Such an affectionate wife," Sirius muttered, grunting when Remus elbowed him in the ribs.

"Are we expecting company?" James asked, standing up.

Lily nodded. "The Minister is coming over for dinner in about an hour, and he mentioned that he wants to talk to you about your little project during that meal," she said. "Remus and Sirius will have to go."

Sirius stood up, ignoring the indignant squeak that he got from Remus as he stood up, picked the werewolf up and carried him over his shoulder. "Remus and Sirius are in the same room and can hear you talking about them," he said.

"Put me down!"

"Can't do that, Remy," he said. "Jim lad, why don't you walk us out to the gate of your house?" he suggested.

James nodded.

...

When he returned to the house, Lily practically shoved a shirt into his face. "The Minister just Owled. He's coming over early," she snapped.

"How early?" James asked.

"Within the next ten minutes," Lily said before calling for one of the house elves and demanding that the food be ready and on the table in twenty minutes. "Why were you lounging around half-naked, anyway?"

James smirked, setting his shirt on the arm of the couch. "My shirt was ruined at work. Something of an occupational hazard," he said. "And as it is my house, I had not expected you to institute a dress code."

Lily frowned and shoved the shirt at James again. "If your clothing is ruined so frequently, then why don't you get a real job?" she asked. "You could do something worthwhile, like being an Auror, and you could even get paid for doing it."

"I like to think that what I'm doing right now is worthwhile," James growled, though he reluctantly pulled the shirt over his head and tapped his wand against his jeans, spelling them clean. "And I won't be talking to either you or Fudge for that long," he said.

Lily shrugged. "As long as you do not go out of your way to do something stupid, and you make sure that you do not insult the Minister, I have no objections to that," she said.

James sneered at her, reminding Lily for a brief moment of Lucius Malfoy. "Be aware that you do not control me, regardless of what you like to think," he said before picking up the copy of the _Daily Prophet_ that was laying on the kitchen table and retreating to the couch in the sitting room.


	83. I pulled my coat tight

**083. I pulled my coat tight**

Word Count: 1,027

* * *

_James and Lucius shared a knowing look as Severus walked out of Harry's bedroom with a frown. "Well?" they asked simultaneously._

_"Congratulations, your son has a light case of pneumonia," Severus drawled. "He'll be fine, as long as he stays in bed and drinks orange juice every morning."_

_"Why orange juice?" Lucius asked._

_"Because the boy needs to ingest fluids, and he promised me that he would drink orange juice because he actually likes it," Severus said with a slight smirk. "Pray tell how Harry was allowed to get sick in the first place."_

_James looked at the ground. "He wanted to visit Remus and Sirius in Estonia, and we got caught in a blizzard on our way back," he said._

_Severus was silent for a long moment. "Call me if his condition worsens," he said, nodding his farewell before casting a warming charm on himself and walking out into the downpour of snow to the Apparition point._

_Lucius wrapped an arm around James' waist and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "This is not your fault," he said as he and James walked into Harry's bedroom._

_The four year old boy was tucked up to his chin with his green blanket, and he was watching his spelled ceiling with almost rapt attention. James had spelled the ceiling to function in a similar manner to the ceiling of the Great Hall, though he had tweaked it so that Harry could choose what weather would be displayed. At the moment, a thunderstorm was gathering, and occasional bolts of lightning sent quick flashes of light throughout the room._

_"How are you feeling, kiddo?" James asked._

_"Better. Uncle Sev said that mother nature was being mean on accident," Harry said before sniffling his nose. "I told him that I pulled my coat tight like you told me to, Father," he said, looking up at Lucius._

_The blond took a seat on the bed next to Harry and allowed his son to plaster himself against Lucius' side while James sat on the foot of the bed._

_"Uncle Sev just said that mother nature wanted to give me a hug, but her hands were too cold," Harry added._

_James grinned. "He said that, did he?" he asked. "What do you know, the git is almost as good with you as I am."_

_Harry just smiled and yawned in response beore he nestled further below the covers. Both Lucius and James took this moment to leave the room._

_James paused at the doorway, glancing back at his sleeping son before looking at the ceiling of the child's room again. The lightning had, for the most part, ceased, but the storm was still brewing in the room._

_Harry shifted underneath his blanket and buried his head underneath his pillow before James closed the door and looked over at Lucius._

_"He seems to favor the thunderstorm, doesn't he?" Lucius asked as James walked toward him. He reached forward and grabbed James around the waist, pulling him into his lap. "That and the sunrises," he added._

_"You do know that it was an accident, don't you?" James asked._

_Lucius smirked. "No, James," he said. "I was of the belief that you had deliberately conspired to create a blizzard at the same time that you were bringing our son back from visiting Lupin and Black," he said._

_A comfortable silence enveloped the two of them before James shifted and stood up. "Why is it that Harry refuses to see any Healers?" he asked. "I mean, I realize that Severus has a knack for Healing spells on top of his expertise with potions, but there are people who have focused entirely on developing their talent in Healing magic."_

_Lucius stood up and followed James into the kitchen, watching as the shorter man grabbed a sandwich from the plate on the kitchen counter. "He trusts Sev," he said. "Sev knows that our son is intelligent, and the ever-so-frightening Potions Master is still slightly afraid of me."_

_"Why would he be afraid of you?" James asked with a cheeky grin. "You are, after all, the harmless, fluffy young heir to the Malfoy estates."_

_Lucius froze. "Did you honestly just call me fluffy, Potter?" he asked._

_"And if I did?" James retorted as Lucius backed him against the wall of the kitchen. "What do you plan to do about it?" he asked._

_Lucius just smirked as he pinned James' arms above his head. As he leaned down to kiss James, someone started pounding on the door._

_..._

A tell-tale thunder sounded, and two people woke up in a cold sweat.

The first to wake up looked around the room and found that the dream had, in fact, been nothing more than a dream. It took a moment before the realization struck home and he did his best to bite back the tears.

The seond person to wake up stared at the ceiling for almost twenty minutes, unable to shake the eery feeling that it hadn't been just a simple dream.

An arm draped over his chest and pulled him flush against his bed-mate. "It's too early for you to be awake," a tired voice muttered.

"I know."

"Go back to sleep, Remy," the voice growled.

Remus nodded, turning into Sirius' embrace, and forced himself to go back to sleep.


	84. The sun shone down

**084. The sun shone down**

Word Count: 1,132

* * *

James Potter was lying on the floor of the sitting room in Spinner's End in agony, with a rag in his mouth to muffle the screaming. Severus had been working for the past four hours to successfully perform a makeshift C-section on the man. This was one of the few times that Severus had refused to use either magic or potions to assist the birthing - he had never before acted as mid-wife when a man was the one giving birth and seeing as the child in question was half Wood Elf, he didn't want to risk the Elven mate finding out and maiming Severus for harming his mate or his child in any unnecessary manner.

"Breathe, Potter. I cannot have a dead body on my floor come dawn," Severus said dryly, likely in a sarcastic attempt to calm the frantic man. "Brace yourself," he muttered a moment later. "One more cut and that should be the last one," he said.

He leaned over James' stomach and made one final incision, ignoring James' weak whimper of pain. Blood spilled from James' makeshift womb and, for a moment, Severus thought that perhaps he'd done something wrong and that James would indeed be dead by sunrise.

A foreign movement caught his focus and he glanced up at James' face - the Potter was crying from the pain, though he was doing well at hiding that fact. Without saying anything to James, Severus reached carefully into the wound and gently took hold of the reason for the foreign movement. Realizing what it was, he carefully pulled the child from it's makeshift wound.

As soon as the child was free, the sounds of an infant crying sounded clear through James' muffled sobs.

...

Another half hour passed and Severus had bandaged James' stomach and wrapped the child in another set of bandages as makeshift clothing. He still did not want to use magic any more than necessary around the newborn, though he had Healed James' stomach once the man had recovered enough from the pain to realize that he had successfully given birth to his son without dying in the process.

"Severus?" James asked weakly as he shifted a bit to try and sit up. "Let me hold my son."

Severus moved over to James, helping him to sit up fully and allowing James to lean against him as he held the newborn.

James was still breathing heavily, and his face was flushed.

"How much pain are you in at the moment?" Severus asked.

"Enough that I don't want to move all that much, but not enough that it hurts to breathe," James replied, subconsciously counting the fingers and toes of his child.

Severus chuckled. "I made sure that your child was healthy, Potter," he said. "And congratulations, it's a boy. Twenty four inches and nine and a quarter pounds," he added.

James looked up at Severus. "You sound almost disappointed."

"Why would I be disappointed?" Severus asked, adopting a light smirk. "After all, if the world needs anything, it would definitely be another Potter."

"If it makes you feel any better, you could always think of the boy as a Malfoy instead of a Potter," James suggested, looking at the child.

Severus frowned. "As soon as he was out of your womb, James, the boy simultaneously vomited, urinated, and excreted his bowels on my robes and my sitting room," he said. An oddly comfortable moment of silence passed between them before the Potions Master cleared his throat quietly. "The boy does need a name, Potter," he said almost gently.

James shifted uncomfortably, watching the child. "Less than an hour ago, you were groping my insides, Severus. I think that would warrant you calling me by my first name," he said.

"Fine then. James," he said, being unapologetically patronizing. "You need to name your son."

"Harry," James replied quietly. "Harrison Lucien Potter."

"You know, that middle name sounds incredibly similar to the name of the Malfoy Heir." Another silence enveloped them and Severus stood, moving to get fresh bandages in case James' wound reopened. He summoned a glass of ice water and handed it to James, who was watching him warily. "He deserves to know that his mate has given birth to his son, James."

"No," James replied, surprising Severus and waking Harry with how forcefully he had spoken. "Lucius has moved on. He married Narcissa Black a few weeks after graduation. He's got a life with her and I refuse to let him ruin his life because of this," he said.

Severus growled, dropping the bandages and glaring at James. "You have no idea what you're doing to him, do you? He is your mate! The two of you were literally born for each other, and you damn near broke him when you cut him out of your life. Hiding this is as good as telling him that you wish he were dead!" he snapped. "There is no greater insult, no greater horror to a creature, even to a man, such as Lucius, than hiding from him the fact that he fathered a bloody son!" he yelled.

Severus' raised voice woke Harry fully and the infant started crying. James didn't look too far away from tears himself, either, and Severus sighed heavily.

"I cannot force you to tell him, though," he muttered.

James nodded slightly, his eyes fluttering shut before he forced them open.

"You'll recover here," Severus said, helping James to his feet as James did his best to calm his child. "Come with me."

Harry settled a bit and yawned again as Severus tucked James into a bed in one of the guest rooms. James watched carefully as Severus transfigured a dresser into a baby crib and settled Harry into it.

"I'll check on you in about an hour," Severus muttered before walking out of the room.

James nodded, falling asleep even before Severus left the room. The sun shone down through the window as he closed his eyes, and Severus pulled the drapes shut to block out as much of the sunlight as he could. He stopped at the doorway and glanced back at the sleeping inhabitants of the room, wondering not for the first time why he'd agreed to take on such an endeavor in the first place.


	85. She reached for a cupcake

**085. She reached for a cupcake**

Word Count: 970

* * *

James walked down the stairs, not saying anything to Lily when he noticed her at the kitchen table. She watched him suspiciously as he put an orange and a few small cupcakes on a plate and took a seat at the table across from her.

"You were gone for almost a full week, James," she said once James started peeling his orange. "I was worried about you."

"Fascinating," James muttered. He looked up at her. "I'm not in the mood for your know-it-all horseshit this morning, so just tell me what you need to tell me and then leave me alone," he said.

She nodded. "I know you gave birth recently. I have a feeling that I know who the second father of your child is, and I have a feeling that I know who helped you deliver the child, but I'm willing to forget those two bits of information," she said.

"What's the catch?" James asked.

"First, we must name your son as the Potter Heir, and second, you will allow me to adopt him legally," Lily said.

"He was named the Potter Heir shortly after he was born," James replied. "And why do you want to adopt him?"

"If word spreads that you gave birth to a son that you carried to term while married to someone other than the other father of the child, it will have potentially irreversible consequences on the Potter name," Lily said. "And I made a promise to your father before he agreed with Dumbledore that I would marry you that I would do whatever I could to ensure the Potter family reputation remains intact."

James said nothing, choosing to eat his orange. He ignored Lily, even when she reached for a cupcake and snatched it off his plate.

She popped the bite-size pastry into her mouth and leaned back. "If preserving your family's name means going so far as to adopt the result of an immature fling with a Slytherin, then so be it," she said.

A House Elf popped up at James' side. "Mister Jim," the Elf said. "Jim's baby is woken up and is wanting his breakfast."

"I'll be right up," James said. "Remember what I told you to fix for the boy?"

The House Elf nodded and disappeared with a soft pop.

"What do you think about my suggestion?" Lily asked as James stood up.

James looked at her with no expression on his face. "I will consider it and then I will speak with you again when I have made my decision," he said. "What will you be doing today?"

"I have a meeting with the Minister of Magic in about two hours, and then I will be spending the rest of the day working on the development of a new wing in the Ministry," she said. "I suppose you'll be spending the day in your secret room, doing Merlin knows what without any sort of supervision or significant human interaction?"

James offered her a half-bored smile. "I am not at liberty to discuss what I do while in that room, and your passive aggressive attempts to bleed information from me are not going to get you anywhere," he said. "And as far as preserving my family's name, keep in mind that sleeping with the Minister of Magic is on the list of no-nos," he added.

She slapped him square across the face. "You have no idea what you're talking about, and you would do well to keep your nose out of my personal business."

James smiled coldly and shoved Lily against the back wall of the kitchen, keeping her in place with a hand on her throat. He kissed her roughly, smiling icily when she bit down on his bottom lip. "We are married now, my love," he said, repeating what Lily often said to him when he did something that she did not approve of. "There is no such thing as 'personal' anymore. Everything is shared," he said.

Lily glared at him, saying nothing. "You can do nothing to me," she snapped.

"Au contraire, Evans," James said, leaning forward so that he could whisper directly into Lily's ear. "Rumors can spread, and bring about information that was previously inaccessible. If I get even the smallest piece of concrete evidence that proves you are acting unfaithful to this marriage, I will annul this marriage and leave you penniless in the Diagon Alley. One shred of fact, and everyone will know what you really are," he said before releasing his hold on her.

She continued to glare at him, saying nothing.

James smirked at her. "Have a lovely day at work, my little Gryffindor wife," he said before retreating back into the suite hiding Alessander's portrait.

"You look unusually proud of yourself, James," Alessander said as James sauntered into the room. "And you have an exceptional son. His eyes, in particular, are proof of that."

"Evans just needed to be reminded of her position in the grand scheme of things, and it was immensely more satisfying than I thought it would have been," he said. "I do thank you for the compliments toward my son," he added.

"What would you like to discuss this morning?" Alessander asked as he watched James feed Harry the concoction that Severus had procured for him.

He paused. "Tell me about you and Victor Potter," he requested.


	86. All that had been left to me

**086. All that had been left to me was the house**

Word Count: 1,669

* * *

James paused, not wanting to think about the complications that this recently delivered letter was going to bring up.

Alessander looked down at him, saying nothing as James fell back into the nearest chair. Finally, when ten minutes had passed and James showed no sign of paying attention to anything other than the letter in his hand, he cleared his throat. "I must say, as fascinating as it has been to be locked in a private chamber with little to no contact from the outside world for the past century and a half, watching a living member of the Potter family rendered as mobile as a Muggle statue is a wonderful change from my isolation," he said irritably, gracefully sitting in the chair behind him.

It took another moment for James to realize that he had been spoken to, and once he finally realized what had been said, he looked up at Alessander with an apologetic smile. "My mother is dead," he said quietly. "She apparently took her own life last night, after consuming enough alcohol to match her body weight."

"I would offer my apologies to you, were I not of the knowledge that you have not been on good terms with your mother since you were married to the idiot woman downstairs," the man said. "What about the letter in your hands has you so spooked?"

James set the letter on the arm of the chair, so that Alessander could see the seal from Gringotts at the top of the letter. "Following the death of my mother, my father's formal will has been released," he said.

Alessander paused. "It was my understanding that a will was to be released immediately following the death of those who had composed the will," he said.

James smirked. "As much as I dislike my father, he had methods in place to ensure that the Potter family does not get tarnished," he said. "He loved my mother with all his heart, and he often referred to her as his soulmate, but he still did not trust her to be intelligent enough to show restraint with the Potter fortune."

"She had an affinity for jewelry, or something else that's just as unnecessarily expensive?" Alessander asked.

"My mother had an affinity for vintage wine, and some of the most expensive brands of champagne in the world," James muttered, almost to himself as he snapped his fingers.

A House Elf immediately appeared in front of James, grinning when it realized that it was not facing Lily. "What does Lizzi need to be doing for Mister Jim?" she asked.

"I have been called to an immediate meeting with the family goblin at the bank, and I do not under any circumstances want Lily to get her hands on Harry," he said. The child was asleep in the bedroom, though James had made sure to leave the door open so he could check in on his son should it be necessary.

"Does the baby Harry need anything?"

James shook his head. "He should wake up from his nap in about three hours for his dinner, and I fully intend to be back in time for that," he said. "However, if I should be held up, I would appreciate it if you could give him dinner." He stood up and pulled his cloak over his shoulders.

"Should I be warning Mister Jim if something bad starts to happen?"

"Only if it's an emergency," he said before glancing up at the portrait of Alessander. "I hope you'll be able to survive a number of hours without me, oh thrice great grandfather of mine," he said.

The man just smirked in response. "If I get too bored, I will resort to corrupting your son," he purred, and James just laughed before Apparating out to Diagon Alley.

As soon as he walked into Gringotts, he was met with the approach of the Potter account manager, an ancient goblin that used to terrify him for sport when he was a child, visiting with his father. "It is good of you to come so soon after we sent the letter, Mister Potter," Griphook said, and James nodded.

"Why was it necessary for me to come here? I was under the impression that I did not need to be here to read a will," he said.

"Were it just the reading, we would have been able to send it to you at your residence in Godric's Hollow. However, as this will indicates that you are the last of the Potter bloodline, there are some things that need to be taken care of in person," the goblin said.

"I do have a son."

"He is not old enough to inherit at the moment, though the notification that he has been named your heir has traveled from the other administrative branches in this world," he said as he led James into a private room in the back of the bank.

"What sort of things need to be taken care of here?" James asked as he took a seat in the empty chair that Griphook pointed out.

The goblin paused a moment, gathering a small pile of parchment from the top of his desk. "As the last male of age in the Potter family, you are to be named Lord of the Potter estate, and you have inherited quite a bit," he said, handing James the top piece of parchment from his pile. "Read everything on that paper and make sure you understand it. I'll give you some privacy, but I will be back in about ten minutes," he said before walking out of the room.

James watched him for a moment before turning his focus onto the parchment in his hands.

_The Last Will and Testament of Geoffrey Alexander Potter_

_As I write this, I pledge that I am of sound mind and health and under no duress._

_As Lord of the Potter estate, I leave everything I own to my son, James Geoffrey Potter, the sole heir of the Potter family, everything we own. Five family vaults and eight companies throughout the world are to be provided to him with his Oath that the employees of those companies will not suffer after he is granted ownership._

_I also leave him the following properties:_

_ Godric's Hollow, where my son currently resides with his wife and son_

_ The Potter Manor_

_ Family houses in Moscow, Dublin, Cape Town, Massachusetts, Vancouver, and Berlin_

_The following sums, which will be transferred into his personal account upon my wife's demise:_

_ 4,243,900,062 Galleons_

_ 123,548,457 Knots_

_ 1,984,647 Sickles_

Also on the page was a note from his father, directed to him.

_James, _

_You and I never got along after you were first accepted into Hogwarts. I truly wish that it was different, but I suppose that it's only natural for a father and son to drift apart with time. However, as things remain tense with us, I hope that we might one day be able to mend the bridge that has been built between us, and I hope that I do not manage to say the wrong thing and push you away further._

_I truly wish you nothing but the best in life, and I do know that you have the common sense not to squander our family's wealth the way that your mother might have, had she been given free range with our finances. Do well by our family name, try not to drag our name into the mud, and for the love of all things holy, try not to do anything that jeopardizes our standing in our world._

_Be strong._

_Geoffrey Potter_

Just as James finished reading for the third time what had been written on the parchment, Griphook walked back into the room and took a seat in the chair behind his desk.

"This is almost too much to take in at one time," James said quietly. "Given that I was under the assumption that all that had been left to me was the house that I'm living in at the moment."

"Were you under the assumption that you had not been named his Heir?" the goblin asked.

James shook his head. "It just never really sank in all this time," he said. "What do I need to take care of while I'm here?"

The goblin grinned menacingly before looking back over at James. "We need to go through the rest of that pile of paperwork," he said, pointing at the pile, which seemed to have grown even larger while James was reading his father's will and letter.

"What is it all?"

"Certain things must be filled out in order for you to properly claim your status as the Lord of the Potter estates, and you must also deal with the forms that will formally announce your son as your heir before he is eligible to inherit anything upon your death," the goblin said with an all-too-pleased grin. "There is far more paperwork in this world than people like to think, and everything in this pile must be filled out before you return home today."


	87. I was tongue tied

**087. I was tongue tied**

Word Count: 1,192

* * *

Narcissa walked through the halls of the Ministry, intent on making her way up to Lucius' office. She hadn't told him that she was visiting him, but he'd left an open invitation for her to come visit him.

Just as she rounded the corner, though, she found herself face to face with Lily Potter.

"You must be Narcissa," Lily said brightly, dropping a number of files into the satchel at her side. "Cornelius did mention that Lucius had recently gotten married," she said. "I'm Lily Potter."

"Cornelius?" Narcissa asked, and it took her a moment to realize who Lily was referring to. "I was unaware that you were on such familiar terms with the Minister," she said.

Lily shrugged almost nonchalantly. "He sort of took me under his wing when I started here, and he's been incredibly supportive since then," she said with a false sense of modesty. "James, my husband, doesn't seem to care much for politics, so he lets me handle most of that between us," she added.

Narcissa nodded, biting on her tongue. "I'd heard something along those lines," she said once she realized that Lily was expecting some sort of response from her.

Lily smiled at her. "So what are you doing here today?" she asked.

"I came to see my husband, Lady Potter," she said.

"Of course," Lily said. "I can take you up to his office and you can wait for him there, if you'd like?" she offered, looking oddly eager to do so.

"That will not be necessary," someone said coldly.

Lily glanced over at an open door to her left as Lucius walked out of the room, flanked by two high-ranking Aurors and a woman with long brown hair.

"Thank you for your help, Lord Malfoy," the young woman said quietly before looking between the two other women in the hall. "Miss Black," she said, smiling slightly. "It's nice to see you again."

Narcissa smiled. "It's actually Malfoy now, Keira," she said.

Keira smirked, glancing over at Lucius, who nodded slightly. "That's new," she said, bowing slightly to Narcissa. "It was nice to see you again, Lady Malfoy, but I have to get back to the Haven."

"Of course," Narcissa said.

Lily watched as Keira walked away. "Who was she?" she asked.

"An old family acquaintance," Narcissa said dismissively. "Lucius, would you care to join me for lunch?" she asked.

Lucius nodded, silently taking the hint. "Anything you wish, pet," he said, wrapping an arm around Narcissa's waist. "Was there anything you needed from my wife, Potter, or do you plan on wasting more of her time?" he asked.

Lily flushed red. "James has been working at the Haven for a while now, and he's mentioned a woman named Keira before."

Lucius' eyes narrowed, but he said nothing.

Narcissa, on the other hand, smirked slightly. "Perhaps it is a good thing that Lord Potter is working in a field other than politics. Keira does good work at the Haven," she said before allowing Lucius to lead her out of the building.

—

As soon as Lucius and Narcissa had been seated in a private booth in one of the most exclusive restaurants in the British Wizarding World, Narcissa forward in her seat. "Is everything alright with Keira?" she asked.

"She's been talking with Greyback and some of the other feral leaders on the Eastern side of the continent," Lucius said. "There's something that's been upsetting the natural balance of things over there and she thought that a certain mutual acquaintance of ours ought to know what's going on," he said. "Now, I have a more important question. Why were you speaking with the Mudblood?"

"She approached me in the hallway and I suppose she decided that we were friends," Narcissa said. "She started talking to me about how the Minister has been supporting her because her husband has no interest in playing politics," she said.

Lucius frowned. "Is that all that she wanted to talk about?"

"You interrupted us before she could get much further, and I thank you for that," Narcissa replied. "I must admit that I was tongue tied when she seemed to want my opinion on James Potter's appetite - or lack thereof - for politics."

"He most likely doesn't want to be anything like his father was," Lucius said, more to himself than to Narcissa, though he didn't doubt she'd heard what he said.

She hesitated a moment, taking a small sip of wine. "If I recall correctly, the two of you were close while we were all in school. You did your best to be discreet about it, but if one looked closely enough, it was there," she said. "I personally remember seeing James sneak into the Slytherin Common Room and then your dorm room on a few occasions," she added with a slight smirk.

Lucius bit back the words he really wanted to say and shrugged slightly. "We were two horny schoolboys fascinated with each other's genitals," he said in a detached voice. "That's all there was to it."

"Lucius," Narcissa said calmly. "He was no more a casual encounter for you than I was - am - for Nikolai. You were in love with him then and I wager you are still in love with him now."

"There is nothing I can do to change the situation, Cissa," Lucius said stiffly. "He moved down to the Mudblood and I have you now."

Narcissa hummed silently, taking another sip of her wine. "You have more than just me now, blondie," she muttered.

Lucius looked over at her, forcing himself out of his reminiscing. "What do you mean by that?" he asked, deliberately ignoring the moniker with which she'd referred to him.

"I'm sure you recall a certain clause in this marriage of ours that neither of us were particularly fond of completing?" she asked.

That statement alone had Lucius' mind spinning, but it only took a moment before he settled upon the proper conclusion. "You're pregnant?" he asked.

Narcissa nodded. "I'm about two months along," she said. "My mother thought it would be prudent to take certain measures to ensure that I actually went through with this and she force fed me a number of potions that help increase the chances of conception, and I fell pregnant after we christened the mattress as a married couple."

Lucius fell back slightly in his seat, ignoring the waiter when he came up to the table and served their food, not at all sure how to respond from this news from Narcissa.


	88. I found myself in another world

**088. I found myself in another world**

Word Count: 1,115

* * *

Alessander stared down at the infant, who had been sleeping soundly in his crib for the past hour and a half. "He is calm, for a baby," he said, looking over at James. "How are you recovering?" he asked.

"I'm fine, if a little sore," James said, not looking up from his book. "Severus said that's to be expected for the next week or so," he added, setting his book off to the side and looking up at the portrait. "You seem to be particularly fascinated by my son. Care to share why?"

"I never had a child of my own," he said. "And he has the most fascinating eyes, for a Potter. I was unaware that our family was known for green or grey eyes," he added.

James hesitated. "They aren't," he said after a long moment.

Alessander looked over at James. "The second father had the dominant genes?" he asked.

James flushed a bright red, hesitating before nodding slightly.

Alessander grinned wickedly at James' reaction. "Well, you are by far the most interesting Potter I have the pleasant luck to come across," he said, settling into his chair. "Come now, do tell me the story."

"Why?"

"I have been isolated in this godforsaken house with no one to talk to for what seems like an eternity, James, and then you and that Mudblood all but prance into my life," he said. "Entertain me," Alessander demanded petulantly, crossing his arms over his chest.

James arched an eyebrow. "Remind me how old you are, again," he said.

"Now, or at the time of my death?" Alessander asked.

"You clearly missed the point of my question," James muttered. He leaned back in his spot on the couch. "How about this? I'll tell you who Harry's second father is if you tell me what it was like when you were attacked by the vampire," he said.

"Name the father first, and I'll think about it," he said.

James murmured something incomprehensible, staring at the floor.

"I didn't quite catch that, James."

James looked around the room, as though he were afraid someone might overhear. "Lucius Malfoy," he said.

"Lucius?"

"His father is Abraxas Malfoy, if that helps," he offered.

"I am well aware of the Malfoy family line, James," Alessander replied. "I suppose congratulations are in order," he said. "After all, it isn't every day that the Malfoy family is intimate with a member of such a light-affliated family. Were the two of you close?"

James remained silent for a moment. "We used to be," he said absently, turning his attention onto his son when the boy whimpered quietly. Harry whimpered again but then seemed to go back to sleep, and James watched him for a moment longer before turning back to Alessander. "So, what was it like, being attacked by a vampire?" he asked.

"I don't recall agreeing to that," he replied, though his lips twitched upward in something resembling a smile.

"Why do you avoid talking about that topic?" James asked. "Apart from that, there's nothing else that you won't talk about with me."

Alessander hesitated. "While I realize that it is an experience that would fascinate people, and anyone who admits otherwise is lying, having a rogue vampire treat me like a chew toy is not something I am particularly fond of reliving," he said. "Add onto the transformation into a creature that I had feared since childhood the fact that I was disowned from my family before my wounds had even stopped bleeding, and you should realize why I don't particularly to talk about it."

"Oh," James said. "I got it."

A long silence enveloped the room, neither Alessander or James wanting to interrupt the awkward pause. Harry whimpered again and James picked his son up, summoning the bottle that Severus had prepared for the child.

"I don't remember all that much of the actual attack, to be honest," Alessander said quietly as he watched James sit back down on the couch and begin to feed Harry. "What I do remember is the bone-chilling feeling of being hunted, and then I fell unconscious. When I woke up, I found myself in another world, or at least that's what it seemed like," he murmured, rubbing his left collarbone absently. "There was only agony in that world," he said. "I was pleading for death, but the creature pulled away before I died."

James looked up at him, unable to find the right words to say.

"When I woke up, the person that had happened upon my bloody, living corpse of a body had Owled Victor and my father, and my father had promptly sent a response informing the woman to deliver me to Godric's Hollow as soon as I was well enough to be transported," he said. "I arrived here and was imprisoned until my death."

"How did you die?" James asked, the words falling out before he had the chance to think about whether or not it would be a good idea to ask the question.

Alessander smiled wanly, his eyes flashing brightly in the dim light of the room. "Rumors started to spread about a vampire in the upstanding, ever-light Potter family shortly after my father died. Victor had been named the Lord of the family estates, and he refused to stand for anything that might besmirch the family reputation, so he took a proactive approach."

"He killed you?" James asked, the realization dawning on him in horror.

Harry blinked up at his father, making an odd noise, and James realized that he'd taken the bottle away from the boy. He returned the bottle to Harry, and he gurgled happily before starting to drink again.

Alessander watched Harry for a moment before nodding. "He backed me into a corner and stabbed a silver stake into my heart," he said. "After that, he set my body on fire so that I, speaking as the portrait, could watch it before he hid me away," he added.

James was silent, half-expecting Alessander's muttered farewell before the man disappeared from the portrait - likely going into the bedroom next door to be alone for a while.


	89. The arrow flew true

**089. The arrow flew true**

Word Count: 1,030

* * *

"You may be willing to abandon your mate, sentencing him to an early death, but Lucius is my friend and I refuse to stand passive if there is any way that I can ease his suffering," Severus snarled. "Go back to the child that Lucius fathered and pretend you're doing the right thing." He crossed his arms and glared at James, refusing to apologize as he watched his words cut into James. Metaphorically, the arrow flew true and struck James right where he had intended them to strike.

Without a word, James stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him and Apparating away almost immediately.

Severus growled to himself, snatching the bottle of rum on the counter and taking a large swig from it. The burning in the back of his throat calmed his anger a bit, but it didn't quench it entirely. He took another swig, just as Lucius stepped out of the fireplace and into Severus' sitting room.

"I'm going to assume that it would be safer not to ask," Lucius said as he stepped out of the fireplace, looking ever the diplomat. "You wouldn't happen to have a glass of bourbon handy, would you?" he asked.

Severus motioned over at the bar, where he had amassed quite the collection of liquor. "Help yourself," he said before taking another swig of his rum.

"I didn't think you liked rum," Lucius said as he poured himself a glass of bourbon.

"It's been a long day," Severus said.

Lucius smirked and took a seat on the couch. "It's not even noon yet, Severus," he said. "What could you have dealt with that has already been that difficult?"

Severus frowned, thinking of how he would phrase his answer. He considered breaking his Oath to James and just telling his friend everything that had been hidden from him, but the Oath's magic sensed this and his fingers started to go numb. "Dumbledore has stuck his nose where it doesn't belong, and I have been caught up in the consequences of his meddling," he said, wiggling his fingers a bit in an attempt to regain the feeling.

An odd expression flitted over Lucius' face before he took another sip of his bourbon.

"So," Severus started almost hesitantly when Lucius didn't say anything. "Normally I am the one who adopts the silent act and you are the one coaxing me into a conversation," he said.

Lucius smirked slightly and raised his glass to Severus. "Now that you bring it up, I'd like to see how you would pull me out of an antisocial mood," he said. "Give it your best effort."

"I suppose I ought to be sober for this conversation if you're trying to ease into whatever it is that you want to talk about," he said, setting the rum on the table and taking a seat on the couch opposite Lucius. "What brings you to my humble abode today?" he asked.

"Narcissa is almost ready to give birth to our son," Lucius said almost bluntly. "The Mediwitch has told me that she's going to give birth within the next two weeks," he said.

"And how does that make you feel?" Severus asked dryly.

Lucius smirked. "Are you seriously asking that question?"

"Well, I don't know what you expect of me," he replied. "I would offer you my congratulations, but I know that Narcissa isn't the one you really wanted to have a child with," he said. "Have the two of you chosen a name for the child?"

"We've been talking about a few, but nothing has been decided on," he said, sipping his bourbon.

Severus said nothing for a moment. "What do your parents think of Narcissa?" he asked.

Lucius frowned. "They're still confused as to why James left me, but my mother has bonded particularly well with Cissa," he said. "They've been spending the past few weeks in Italy."

"And your father?"

"He has tried reaching out to James to get answers," Lucius said almost hesitantly. "Both with Owls and through mutual contacts at the ministry, but James hasn't responded to any of them."

Severus paused, storing that information for James' next visit. "It was my understanding that the Potter Lord does his best to avoid the Ministry, since his wife considers herself the 'new breed' of a Wizard politician."

"I had the misfortune of encountering a meeting between Evans and the Minister the other day, and she referred to herself as a bureaucratic poison dart frog," Lucius replied with a smirk. "Her frequent visits with the Minister have led to certain rumors circulating," he added.

"Let me guess," Severus said. "She's sleeping with the Minister."

Lucius nodded. "If there were any proof of that, I would have the pleasure of draining the blood from her body, regardless of what James wants me to do," he said.

A calm silence fell over the two of them before Severus spoke up again. "Lucius, not that I dislike these meetings with you, but why do you keep coming for these conversations?" he asked.

"Because I know that you have kept contact with James," Lucius said quietly, taking note of the way that his friend tensed at that statement. "He's probably had you swear an Oath to keep his privacy, so I won't ask you to try to break that. Just tell me, please, how is he doing?"

"This is not healthy for you, Lucius," Severus said.

Lucius shrugged, saying nothing.

The Potions Master sighed. "He's struggling with some private matters," he said quietly. "I cannot divulge any specific information, but he's surviving."

Lucius nodded, leaning back in the couch and taking another sip of his bourbon.


	90. The compass needle went wild

**090. The compass needle went wild**

Word Count: 1,170

* * *

James walked into the Ministry of Magic, glancing down at the package that Keira had asked him to deliver when he'd left the Haven that day. He made sure to keep an eye out for his wife, who was supposedly working double overtime, ironing out the more intricate details regarding the development of a new wing in the Ministry.

"Lord Potter," a short, brunette man said as James tucked the package into the inner pocket of his robes. "It's nice to see you here," he said, offering his hand to James.

"I suppose," James replied, cautiously taking the proffered hand. "Might I ask your name?" he asked.

The man dropped James' hand and straightened himself. "I'm Eric Hemming," he said. "I graduated Hogwarts in the same class year as you," he added.

"Not to seem impolite, but I don't really remember you," James said.

Eric grinned. "I didn't expect that you would," he said. "I was in Hufflepuff, and I did my best not to cross paths with you while we were in school."

"Why?"

"You had a reputation as something of a playboy," Eric said. "The idea of sex scared me," he said with a grin. "So to hear of someone who embraced it was rather unnerving to me."

James grinned unabashedly. "Well, that's not something I get told every day," he said, shifting a bit in his spot.

Eric seemed to notice James growing a bit uncomfortable, and he cleared his throat. "Is there something I can help you with?" he asked. "I'm still relatively new here, and I've been christened the unofficial escort."

"I was looking for whoever was in charge of the department that oversees the welfare of magical creatures," James said.

The ex-Hufflepuff nodded and said nothing for a moment. He glanced up at the ceiling briefly before nodding again. "Right," he said, smiling. "Follow me."

James nodded, and almost immediately had to start jogging to catch up with the shorter man, who had practically sprinted toward a flight of stairs against the left side of the room.

...

Ten minutes and two and a half flights of stairs later, Eric knocked on a heavy oak door. "This is Elaine Thompson's office," he said. "She oversees all the laws regarding magical creatures."

A muffled noise sounded from inside the room and Eric opened the door.

"Thank you," James said, walking inside.

"It was my pleasure, Lord Potter," Eric said. "After all, it isn't every day that you show up in the Ministry. Most of the time all anyone ever sees of what remains of the Potter family is your wife, and to be honest, the more she works with Minister Fudge, the worse she gets with everyone else around here."

James sighed. "Allow me to apologize for her, then. She maintains her belief that, as long as she makes herself apparently indispensable to people in high places, she can get away with treating everyone else around her like they are below her. I have been unable to persuade her to change that belief," he said.

Eric grinned. "You have nothing to apologize for, sir," he said. "Those of us on certain side of the conflict enveloping our country realize that it is her fault, since she is a Muggleborn and has shown no interest in learning the proper customs of our world. It was nice to see you, sir." He bowed to James before retreating back down the hall that he'd led James down just moments ago.

James walked inside and found himself immediately face to face with a woman who seemed to be about eighty years old. She was looking over a large stack of parchment papers, but as soon as she realized that James was in her office, she stood up and extended her hand to him. "Hello," she said.

"Good afternoon," James said, taking the woman's hand. "I am -"

"Lord Potter, yes, I know," Elaine said. "Have a seat," she said.

James nodded and did so, at first not saying anything.

Elaine returned to her seat and looked at a compass on her desk. She glanced up at James and then looked back at the compass, murmuring a quiet phrase. The compass needle went wild, spinning around quickly and emitting a low hum, and she glared at James. "You have been consorting with Dark magical creatures," she accused.

"I was unaware that was a crime," James said amicably.

"It isn't," Elaine snapped. "At least, not yet. Right now it is just highly suspicious, especially for a man of your standing in society."

James bit back a sudden urge to growl at the woman, knowing that it would not help him. "As you may or may not know," he started, doing his best to sound as politely detached as he could. "I work with a young woman who does her best to rehabilitate and heal animals abused by wizards around the world.

"Keira Portman. We here at the Ministry are well aware of what she tries to do," Elaine said with a sniff. "Though most of us are more interested in the magical creatures that she has been known to hide from us."

Biting back another growl, James stood up and took the package out of his pocket. "The French Ministry of Magic commissioned a report from her regarding the statistics of abused animals - owls, mostly, and cats. They wanted to know with what frequency animals were abused in European countries so that they could focus more on strengthening and enforcing the laws that are being violated when the abuse happens."

"Get to the point, please. I am a very busy woman."

"Miss Portman completed that report last week, and I've helped her deliver it to the Ministries of the European countries included in the report," James said, setting the package on the edge of Elaine's desk. "Most of the other Ministries have been appreciative of the outreach."

Elaine sneered up at him. "As much as I'm sure that this was well-received by foreign Ministries, I will have to look this over before I evaluate the current laws." She glanced down dismissively at the package. "I'll get back to you when I've had the chance to look over the report."

James watched her carefully for a moment longer.

She glared at him and pointed to the door. "I'll get back to you when I've had the chance to look over this report," she said dismissively. "Now leave."


	91. I laid eyes on what I'd found

**091. I laid eyes on what I'd found**

Word Count: 1,017

* * *

"Lucius?" Severus asked when he opened the door, looking incredibly surprised at his friend's unannounced appearance at his front door. "What are you doing here?"

"Am I not allowed to visit an old friend?" Lucius asked.

Severus smirked, still not moving from his spot in the doorway. "Not when you show up without any notice and pretend that you don't want to do anything but reminisce," he said coolly. "As much as I'd like to share a bottle of something likely alcoholic with you while we rehash stories of our long lost childhood, now really isn't the best time."

Lucius peaked over Severus' shoulder and noticed a blue teddy bear on the floor in front of the couch. "You've got company?" he asked.

"Something like that," Severus muttered, gritting his teeth. He stared at the ground for a long moment before looking back up at Lucius. "You are aware that Dumbledore has me under his thumb, I assume," he said, his hands trembling with a sudden onset of pain.

Lucius noticed the subtle change in Severus' behavior and frowned. "You've got yourself under more than one Oath, don't you?" he asked. "You idiot, don't you know how dangerous that is?" he asked, his tone quickly going glacial.

"Of course I know how dangerous it is," Severus growled. "Let me assure you it is not the dumbest thing that I've done."

"I very much doubt that," Lucius snapped. "How many?" he asked as he took a step toward the smaller Slytherin.

Severus seemed to have expected this move, because he blocked Lucius from entering. "You can lecture me about my unhealthy choices another time, Lucius," he said.

A child laughed from inside Severus' house and Lucius moved to try to see the child, but Severus moved again and blocked Lucius from walking into his house.

"Like I said, Lucius, now is not a good time for you to come in."

"You're hiding something from me," Lucius accused.

Severus took a deep breath, once again regaining control of himself before he spoke. "I am hiding a number of things from you, Lucius," he said. "Now, because my veins have turned into barbed wire, I'm going to tell you to stop asking questions." He gritted his teeth again and Lucius noticed his legs trembling slightly.

"You're going to kill yourself if you keep this up," Lucius muttered.

"I'll take care of myself," Severus said.

Lucius nodded, hesitating another moment before Apparating back to the Manor.

—

Lucius successfully avoided both Narcissa and his mother when he returned to the Manor, but his father was waiting for him in his study.

"Lucius," he said quietly. "Dumbledore Firecalled me a few minutes ago," he said.

"What did he want?" Lucius asked conversationally, taking a seat in his favorite armchair and deliberately avoiding his father's stare.

Abraxas bared his teeth and growled lowly at his son. "Do not try to play dumb with me," he snarled. "The idiot thinks he has the Potions Master on a leash and he has security measures in place. When you tried to push your way into Severus' home, Dumbledore immediately called me, wanting to know what game you were playing."

Lucius paused. "What do you want from me?" he asked.

"I want an explanation from you, and I want you to start thinking before you run off acting like a Gryffindor," Abraxas snapped as he took a seat in the armchair next to Lucius. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"Severus is hiding something from me," Lucius snapped back. "I went over there and there was evidence that there was a child at his house."

Abraxas shifted in his chair. "He is not obligated to tell you everything that goes on in his life, just as you are not obligated to tell him everything going on in your life."

Lucius bared his teeth at his father. "When his house smells like James, he needs to tell me. There was a child's toy on the floor, along with some other evidence, and when I laid eyes on what I'd found, he still had the nerve to hide the truth from me," he snapped.

Abraxas waited a long moment before responding - it wouldn't do either his son or himself any good to deliberately start an argument. "I cannot tell you that I know what you're going through," he said, keeping his voice calm.

"No, you cannot," Lucius growled. "You've had the fortune of having your mate at your side since you met."

"I know. But I also know that you'd been getting by without him," Abraxas said. "Though Narcissa has informed me that you have a tendency to leave on a moment's notice to get drunk," he muttered.

Lucius opened his mouth to respond, but he closed it and thought about what to say. "So what is it that you're suggesting?" he asked after a few minutes.

Abraxas smirked and stood up. "I'm suggesting that you do what the Malfoys are known to do," he said. "Use your intelligence and your contacts to get enough information to take action," he said.

"I'm not going to be able to handle that," Lucius said quietly.

"Then find a way to handle it or accept the fact that you're going to lose him forever," Abraxas said coolly.

"Who's to say I haven't already lost him?" Lucius asked, looking up at his father from his chair.

Abraxas just smirked silently before walking out of the room, leaving Lucius to think about how to approach his situation.


	92. The airplane roared overhead

**092. The airplane roared overhead**

Word Count: 1,236

* * *

Lily walked out of the house, intent on making her way out to her parent's house to see how they were coping. She hadn't seen them since the wedding, and even then, they hadn't stayed around all that long - thanks to a certain hostility from the Wizards. James, furious at being forced to marry a Muggleborn, had treated them especially rudely.

"Where is Miss Evans going to be going?" one of the house elves asked as Lily barely avoided stepping on it.

"That is none of your concern," Lily snapped.

"Mister Jim has asked the Miss Evans leave note of her whereabouts," the house elf said, not cowed in the least by the glare that Lily directed at her.

"Why?"

"Mister Jim was not giving the reasoning for asking," the house elf said. "Where is Miss Evans going to be going?" she repeated.

Lily sniffed, kicking the house elf out of her way, and walked out to the Apparition point at Godric's Hollow. "It is no concern of James' where I am going," she muttered to herself, ignoring the slight fluttering in her chest as she thought about his possible motives for wanting to know where she was.

As soon as she reached the proper point, she Apparated away to her father's house in Surrey.

She arrived in the living room, which was empty at the moment, and looked around. The house hadn't changed much since she was a child.

"Lily?" a voice asked from behind her.

Lily whirled around, coming face to face with her sister. "Tunia!" she cried happily, wrapping her older sister in a hug. "How have you been?"

"Lily, what are you doing here?" Petunia asked, separating herself from her sister and making her way into the kitchen. Lily followed her.

"Am I not welcome in my family's house anymore?" Lily asked, affronted at her sister's less-than-warm reception of her.

Petunia was silent for a long moment as she poured herself a cup of tea.

"Did I do something to offend you?"

"Do you honestly think that I would have been petty enough to hold a grudge because you still think the world revolves around you, Lily?" Petunia asked, sipping her tea. "You are the favoured of us, and I have grown to accept that. I have also grown apart and have started my own life."

"Did you end up with Jonas?" Lily asked, remembering the young Bavarian who had been rather besotted with Petunia some years ago.

An odd expression befell Petunia's face. She looked out the window and grinned when she saw an airplane starting to make its descent to the nearby runway. "Jonas has been dead for nearly two years," she muttered darkly.

"But that wasn't so long ago. What happened?" Lily asked, taking a seat at the table.

Petunia turned to face Lily, still clutching her tea. "What you may have missed while you were searching through my correspondence with Jonas was that he was a lieutenant in his country's military. He was called to duty about two months after we met face to face, and he was killed while he was stationed in Kuwait."

"Kuwait?" Lily asked faintly. Petunia opened her mouth to respond, but Lily shook her head. "Never mind, it doesn't matter."

Petunia's eyes narrowed, but any insults she might have delivered were drowned out as the airplane roared overhead. Once it had passed beyond them, she turned her back on Lily. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see how you, mother, and father have been."

"I have been married since before your wedding and I have a son, mother is still working as a flight attendant and Daddy is still a pilot," she said. "We have heard nothing from you since your wedding," she added.

Lily frowned.

"Tell me," Petunia said. "How is your husband?"

"What?"

Petunia laughed quietly. Lily had not been kind to her when they were children, and it gave her a sick sense of pleasure to make the younger woman feel as horrible as she had. "When he spoke to me after the ceremony, despite his reluctance in doing so, he made it almost perfectly clear that he was not marrying you by his own volition."

"Your vocabulary has certainly expanded since we were children, Tunia," Lily said snottily. "You haven't started reading the dictionary in your spare time, have you?"

"Better to improve my knowledge than to force a man to trick his son into marriage," Petunia snapped.

"What did James tell you?" Lily asked irritably.

An ugly smirk came over Petunia's face. "He apologized for all the years that I had to put up with you, for starters."

Lily stood up and crossed her arms over her chest. "What else?" she asked in clipped tones.

"He asked about my child."

"You didn't have a boy with you at my wedding."

Petunia's eyes narrowed. "No, Lily," she snapped. "I was seven months pregnant at the time. Your husband noticed this and made sure that I was comfortable. I believe he phrased it as charity for a soon to be mother, even if he did not wish to have ever met me," she said.

"He did not."

"Ask him about it," Petunia all but snarled.

Laughter that could only belong to a young boy caught their attention, and seconds later, a plump young child ran into the room and hugged Petunia around the knees. "Grampy made the airplane go upside down," he said with a grin.

Petunia returned the grin. "Then go tell him that he's going lose all of his hair," she said. "Even his moustache."

The boy giggled and, without sparing a glance at Lily, ran back out of the room.

"Was that your son?" Lily asked once Petunia looked back at her.

The grin quickly faded from Petunia's face. "I'm going to tell you this once, Lily. You knew when you first went to that school that you were going to have to choose between that world and this one," she said. "You married one of them, one of the wizards, and in doing so, you made your choice."

"I don't understand," Lily said faintly.

Petunia glared at her younger sister. "You do, and you know that you do," she said harshly. "You cannot live in both worlds. You made your choice in settling down with one of them, and you cannot change your mind on a whim." She set her tea on the counter next to her and crossed her arms. "Go back to your life, your world, and do not come back here again," she said.

Lily glared at Petunia for a long moment, biting back any number of insults, and Apparated out of the house without another word.


	93. We went onto the balcony

**093. We went onto the balcony**

Word Count: 1,337

* * *

"You spoke with my sister at our wedding?" Lily snarled, startling James out of the nap he was taking the master bedroom.

"What time is it?" James asked tiredly as he opened his eyes slightly. When she did not answer him, he cast a quick _Tempus_. "Why are you bothering me with inane ramblings at two in the morning?" he asked, rubbing his eyes and sitting up.

Lily stared at his chest for a moment. "Why is there a gash on your chest?" she asked, deliberately ignoring James' question. "What voodoo bullshit have you been getting into?"

"The kind of voodoo bullshit that is none of you business," James snapped. "What the hell do you want?"

"I spoke with Petunia earlier today and she said that you talked to her at our wedding," Lily snapped.

James smirked tiredly. "Are you honestly that paranoid?" he asked. "Yes, I talked to the Muggle."

"And?"

"And what? I spoke English, she spoke English, sentiments were exchanged, and we bade each other farewell," James said, rubbing his face. "That tends to be the basic structure of a conversation."

Lily slapped him across the face, ignoring the way he bared his teeth at her. "What did you say to her?"

"I asked her how she was doing in her pregnancy," James snapped. "She was in her seventh month or so, and she didn't seem particularly enthused to be at the wedding." He smirked again. "We bonded over that fact."

"You're lying!" Lily shrieked, once again slapping James across the face.

A child's crying sounded faintly from the other room, and James slowly stood up, doing his best to avoid making any sort of physical contact with Lily.

"Thank you for that, Evans," James snapped, grabbing her hand when she moved to slap him again. "He just got to sleep an hour ago."

"I don't care about that brat of a child," she snapped. "Tell me what you told my sister!"

James frowned. "I wished her luck with her life. After the ceremony, we went onto the balcony of the villa and talked for a while. She was married less than a year and her pregnancy was stressing her out. I tried to help her out, but I don't know what good I did."

"I suppose you would know a lot about a stressful pregnancy," Lily snapped.

Harry's cries increased in fervor and James frowned.

"May I go attend to my son, or are you not done being a bitch yet?" he asked.

Lily smirked triumphantly. "I know he isn't your first."

James froze in his spot, glaring at Lily. "I beg your pardon?" he growled.

"Dumbledore told me after you and I came back from our honeymoon. He said that he had to terminate your first pregnancy during the school year because it was endangering your academic success," she said with an ugly smirk.

"You're pushing your luck, bitch," James growled, his eyes darkening in anger. "There is a line which I will not tolerate you crossing, and you are getting dangerously close to that line."

Lily's smirk just grew more smug and self-satisfied. "Isn't it a shame amongst Pureblood families to have terminated the pregnancy of a child, let alone the first pregnancy?" she asked smugly. "A black mark on the record, so to speak."

James bit the inside of his cheek, doing his best not to hit his wife. Instead, he turned his back on her and started making his way over the makeshift nursery, where Harry was still crying.

Alessander watched silently from the corner of one of the portraits above Harry's crib. He knew better than to make himself known to Lily Evans - he got enough of her when James was out of the house and Evans wasn't. He glanced down at the child, who was still crying, and frowned.

James had almost made it to Harry's crib when Lily decided to insult James yet again.

"He told me the gender of your first child. The one that you allowed to be murdered," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I am going to assume that the second father of your first child was the same as the second father of Harry."

"Make your point and leave before I change my mind about not hitting you," he snarled, clenching his fists and refusing to look at Lily.

Lily walked up to press herself against James' back. She wrapped her arms around his waist and stood on her tip-toes so that she could rest her chin on James' shoulder. "Tell me something," she said in a too-sweet voice. "You and Lucius were rather attached to each other for a large portion of our final year at Hogwarts, and Remus Lupin seemed to think that the two of you were destined to be together. So, how does it feel, not only to be forever separated from him, but attached to someone else completely?"

James only growled, trying to squirm out of Lily's hold on him, but the redhead wasn't moving so much as an inch.

"Now, if you had had the chance to settle down with the Malfoy heir, you would likely not have been forced to terminate your first pregnancy," Lily said. She kissed James' neck and smirked. "What would the two of you have named that little girl?" she asked before slipping out of the room.

James growled loudly, but did not move. He closed his eyes, snarling out a number of curses against Lily's name, and did his best to force himself to focus on something else. After all, his son was still crying.

A long moment passed, and he could have sworn he felt hands holding his face still. "Keep your eyes closed, James," Alessander said quietly. "Before you come any closer to your son, you will do what I tell you."

"I'm going to kill Evans," James snarled.

"Leave that to your mate," Alessander said gently. "You do what you know needs to be done to honor your bond."

"And what's that?" James asked, clenching his eyes shut tighter.

Alessander hesitated a moment before speaking, and it was only then that the two of them noticed Harry's cries had decreased to heartbreakingly quiet whimpers. "You are going to reassure your son that everything is alright and you are going to make sure that he is in perfect health. You will then return to your bed and go back to sleep, putting this latest interaction with Lily out of your mind."

"I cannot."

"You do not have a choice. You will either continue doing what you have done to honor the bond, or you will do what you should have done months ago," Alessander replied.

Another moment of silence passed before the sensation of hands on his face passed and James opened his eyes. He looked up at the portrait of Alessander, who was calmly watching him. James offered a weak smile at the portrait as he walked forward and picked up his son.

Harry stared up at him, tears welled up in his eyes, and started fussing again.

"Calm down, little one," James murmured. "Things will work out all right in the end, I promise."

Alessander smiled a bit. "I will make sure of that," he told himself before walking out of the portrait frame, allowing James and Harry a semblance of privacy.


	94. I held her close to me

**094. I held her close to me**

Word Count: 1,348

* * *

Lucius was inwardly pleased to see that James had the decency to look incredibly reluctant as Lily all but dragged him into the gala. It took the redhead only a brief moment before she and James were intercepted by the Minister of Magic, a young man by the name of Cornelius Fudge.

"Ah, Lily! How are you this evening? And James, such a pleasure to see you out and about," the man said, gripping James' free hand and pumping violently with his own sweaty hands.

James bit back a grimace, grateful that he had thought to wear gloves to such an event. "Thank you for extending an invitation, Minister Fudge," he said.

Cornelius' face lit up and he motioned for Lily and James to follow him over to the spot where Lucius and Narcissa were speaking quietly with each other. "Lucius, Narcissa, I'm sure you know the Potters," he said. "Lily, the Malfoy family has donated almost two hundred thousand Galleons to the construction of the new wing in the Ministry," he said before spotting another family and rushing over to greet them.

A brief, tense silence enveloped the four of them before Narcissa took it upon herself to speak. "Mister Potter, how have you fared since our graduation from Hogwarts?" she asked pleasantly.

"As well ask can be expected, Madam Malfoy," James said politely, doing his best to avoid Lucius' gaze. "I don't believe we've ever met before," he said.

Lucius paused, glancing at James almost curiously. "James, this is my wife, Narcissa Malfoy," he said, not hesitating to use his mate's first name. "Narcissa, this is James Potter."

Narcissa offered her hand to James, who took it and kissed the back of her palm.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, madam."

"Please, James, is it?" Narcissa asked, and James nodded. "Call me Narcissa."

Lily coughed in a very much indiscreet manner and James glanced over at her dismissively. "Lucius," he said, turning his gaze fully back at the man. "Narcissa, this is Miss Evans," he said.

An amused expression flitted briefly over Narcissa's face while Lucius' eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"Don't be so silly, James," Lily said, tightening her grip on James' arm slightly and digging her fingernails into his skin. She looked over at Narcissa, who was arching an eyebrow speculatively at Lily. "I'm Lily Potter. James' wife."

"How ... interesting," Lucius said, turning his eyes onto James. "I find your work in rehabilitating abused animals rather fascinating, James," he said. "Might we discuss it over a drink?"

Almost too eagerly, James nodded and quickly dislodged himself from Lily's hold. "I would be honored," he said and followed Lucius over to the bar, not hesitating to abandon Lily with Narcissa Malfoy.

Once James was leaning against a far wall with a glass of bourbon in his hand, and Lucius standing next to him, he found himself relaxing quite easily. Lucius subtly cast a number of privacy charms around the two of them before looking over at James.

"You were married to the Evans Mudblood over a full year ago," he said coolly.

James straightened himself and stared at the floor. While he had expected a conversation along those lines, he had not expected that Lucius would address it so bluntly. "What are you getting at?" he asked quietly.

Lucius smirked, though there was an angry look in his eyes. "Why do you refer to her as 'Miss Evans'?"

"Because, as I informed you when we were both students, I have no intention of calling Miss Evans by any name other than Miss Evans. Despite the fact that I find myself married to her, my feelings have not changed," he said.

All expression then fell from Lucius' face. "You had no choice in the matter, then?" he asked.

"However it happened, she thinks she has me in her clutches." James, feeling that this conversation would likely not end pleasantly, decided to change the subject. "And what of your marriage to Narcissa Black?" he asked detachedly. "Did you not have a choice in that matter?" he asked.

Lucius leaned forward, cornering James against the wall and ignoring the apprehensive look in James' eye. "I knew from the first moment that I held her close to me that my marriage to her would kill me."

"And what do you mean by that?" James asked quietly, the apprehension changing immediately to concern.

"While Cissa is a lovely person, neither of us care for each other as a married couple should," Lucius said. "Her heart is with a Ravenclaw, and mine remains in your grasp," he said, rubbing his hand along James' jaw.

James opened his mouth to continue speaking, but a house elf appeared in front of him. Knowing what that meant, he excused himself from Lucius and Apparated back home, where he found the portrait of Alessander staring down at the crying form of Harry.

"What happened?" he asked.

Alessander stared disdainfully at him, remaining silent for a moment before choosing to speak. "He was sleeping and then his screaming started. I guess the sound of his own screams woke him up, and he's been like this for the past twenty minutes." He smiled grimly. "The sound has been driving the house elves crazy, and they tried everything they can to get him to calm down."

"Why did it take so long for one of them to come and get me?"

"Lily ordered them not to disturb either you or her at the gala unless it was a dire emergency. Lizzi decided that enough was enough and she went to get you."

James closed the door behind him, locking it as a precaution, and reached down to pick up his son. Almost immediately did Harry stop the screaming sobs, though he was letting out quiet whimpers as James hummed a lullaby to him.

Alessander watched the two of them for a long minute, not saying anything. When it seemed that Harry had calmed down enough for James to replace him in the crib, he addressed James. "Was your evening at the gala pleasant, however short the time that you spent there?" he asked.

Taking a seat in the chair next to the crib, James considered how to phrase his response before speaking. "Lucius and I had an interesting conversation," he said.

"The Mudblood allowed you to spend time with your mate without insisting that she play supervisor?" he asked.

"I did not give her the chance to speak on the issue. I left her with the woman that Lucius took as his wife," he said.

Alessander grinned. "Well done, that. How did the conversation go?"

"He suspects that I was given no choice in the union, and he told me in a number of words that he and his wife had been allowed no other option when it came to marriage," he said.

Alessander nodded. "That bodes well for the two of you, I suppose."

James opened his mouth to respond again, but Lizzi, the house elf that had silently informed him that he needed to return home, appeared in the room. "What is it, Lizzi?" he asked.

"Lady Evans is saying that she be speaking with the Minister about business and she is saying that she is to be home late," Lizzi said. "Does Master James want to be getting supper?" she asked.

James shook his head. "Not right now Lizzi," he said, and with a quiet 'pop', she disappeared again.


	95. We would be heroes

**095. We would be heroes**

Word Count: 1,263

The song below was borrowed shamelessly from Kenny Loggins singing lullabies.

* * *

It was raining outside when James sat at the kitchen table with breakfast for himself and Harry. Lizzi helped to spoonfeed Harry the baby food as James half-heartedly picked at his bagel.

"Master James needs to be eating," Lizzi said as Harry grabbed hold of the spoon, giggling and gurgling in his baby language.

James nodded and took a bite out of his bagel, if only just to appease Lizzi. He hadn't been able to get any sleep the night before, his mind completely stuck on Lucius and the conversation that he'd had with him the night prior, at the gala. "Did Evans come home yet, Lizzi?" he asked.

"Lady Evans is still being out, working with the Minister," the elf replied.

"No, elf, I'm home," Lily said from her spot in the doorway.

James turned his gaze on Lizzi and nodded once, glancing over at Harry.

The house elf understood completely and took hold of Harry and his food, disappearing with the quiet 'pop' back to the nursery.

"Why did your conversation with the Minister last through the night?" James asked, suspecting that he already knew the reason. He may not care about Lily, but he knew he still needed to play the part of caring husband, otherwise both Dumbledore and the spirit of his father would be after him for neglecting his wife.

"We got caught up in some rather confidential matters regarding the new wing at the Ministry," she said flippantly, grabbing an apple slice from James' plate and ignoring the way James bared his teeth at her. "You found yourself in too vulnerable a position with Lucius Malfoy at last night's gala," she added.

"He was merely interested in discussing the future of the rehabilitation center for the animals," James said. "You need not concern yourself with anything I dicuss with the current head of the Malfoy family."

"Needn't I?" she asked coolly. "You were rather fascinated with him for a portion of our final year at Hogwarts. Should I be jealous?" she asked with an odd expression that James supposed was her attempt at something even remotely seductive.

He stood up, saying nothing, intent on heading up to the nursery to make sure that Harry was still eating. His child had taken to the odd habit of refusing to eat when Lily was in the room, which while mildly amusing, it did concern James quite a bit.

"We do need to talk about the Malfoys, James," Lily said just before James made it to the door.

"And what else is there about the Malfoy family that you can come complaining to me about?" he asked, turning to face her with a glare. "They are an incredibly upstanding family that just donated a large portion of the funds necessary for the new wing that you've been developing with the Minister, and it would be proper for you to be grateful for their generosity rather than whining about them."

"You know better than I that the Malfoys are Dark," Lily snapped, crossing her arms and refusing to back down from this conversation.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Evans," James growled quietly.

Lily looked oddly at James. "We would be heroes if we proved that the Malfoys were a Dark family, and then the Ministry could use what we tell them to glean every bit of information that they have about the Dark Lord."

James turned abruptly and started walking away.

"We would be heroes, James!" she yelled after him, and it took every bit of self-restraint that James had to stop him from turning around and physically beating his wife. He was, after all, supposed to be playing the part of the loyal, loving husband and it would not do for Lily to show up at St. Mungo's looking like he had beaten the shit out of her.

He walked up to the nursery and warded the room shut once he was alone with his son.

Harry looked up at him and said something in his own baby-language.

Alessander was standing in the portrait above Harry's bed, watching the child. "The house elf finished feeding him what was left of this morning's meal, and she mentioned that she will return only for lunch," he said.

James picked Harry up and walked over to the sofa in the room. Was it any wonder, he thought, that he spent the majority of his time with the child he had birthed? The only link he allowed himself to have to remind him of his love for Lucius.

"Harry, I think it's time to tell you a story," he said gently, cradling the boy to his chest.

The child just giggled up at James, seeming almost to expect a story.

Before James could start, though, he heard Lily walking up the stairs. She banged on the door to the nursery, startling Harry and making him start to cry.

"James!" she yelled loudly. "James, we need to talk!"

James merely sighed and put up one of the strongest silencing spells that he knew. Ignoring the fact that such an action would bring about serious repercussions from both Lily and Dumbledore, when Lily reported what he'd done to her. He focused all his attention on calming Harry.

He could not at the moment think of a story, so he did the next best thing: he thought of a lullaby. Humming at first, he started singing.

"Hush a bye, don't you cry. Go to sleep, my little baby. When you wake, you shall have all the pretty little ponies. In your bed, Poppa said, Baby's riding off to dreamland. One by one, they've begun, dance and prance for little baby. Blacks and bays, dapples and greys, running in the night. When you wake, you shall have all the pretty little ponies. Can you see the little ponies dance before your eyes? All the pretty little ponies will be there when you arise."

Alessander looked down to see that Harry was fast asleep, and James looked up at him wearily as he held his son close to him.

"I don't know how long I can keep this up, Alessander," he said quietly.

The portrait stared down at him curiously, not saying anything for a moment. "I believe you mentioned that you have informed your Lucius in a roundabout way that you still belong to him," he said, keeping his voice hushed so as not to disturb the sleeping child. "Perhaps it is time to tell him the entire truth," he said.

"I cannot. He has a wife and heir on the way to worry about," James replied. "Apart from that, Dumbledore would use that information to go after Lucius and the rest of the Malfoys and it would be entirely my fault."

"James," Alessander said. "You are forgetting that Albus Dumbledore is not infallible."

James frowned, but said nothing, instead looking back down at his young son.


	96. She fluttered like a bird

**096. She fluttered like a bird**

Word Count: 1,100

* * *

James woke up to the sounds of Harry laughing and gurgling half-formed words, and Alessander speaking quietly. He smiled a bit and shoved his head under his pillow to go back to sleep when he heard Alessander start spinning a wild tale of one of his adventures exploring the forests of Russia.

Just as he had started to drift back into the pleasant fuzziness of oncoming sleep, though, a soft chime echoed throughout the room, signaling Lily's approach toward the door to the suite. He sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, trying to convince himself that he was not hearing someone walk around in the sitting room.

"James?" Alessander called from the other room. "Your wife is coming to disturb you and upset Harry," he said. "And I was just getting to the part where I single handedly wrestled a griffin for it's stash of gold."

James grinned and walked out to the sitting room.

Alessander stared down at him from his portrait, grinning mischievously.

James returned the grin with one of his own as he picked Harry up. "That wasn't part of the story when you told it to me two nights ago," he said.

"The boy has the memory of a goldfish, James," Alessander said. "And I need to make up a story that is justifiably incredible so I can relay it to him when he'll actually remember it."

"No child is too young to indulge you with hero worship?"

"Something like that," Alessander said, winking at him. "Now, take your boy downstairs and go feed the both of you," he said.

James nodded. "But of course, my liege."

Alessander paused a moment but then started laughing. He leaned forward in his chair and rested his chin on his hand. "My liege?" he asked. "I certainly like the sound of that."

James laughed, but made his way to the door with Harry when the chimes got louder, signaling that Lily was in the same room as the entrance to the Potter suite. He held Harry closer to him and headed out of the room. "Evans," he said in greeting. "Lovely morning, isn't it?" he asked, looking out the window.

A fierce morning thunderstorm was brewing, and if the past three days were any sign, the rest of the day would be full of heavy rain, lightning, and loud claps of thunder at some of the most inopportune moments.

"Why don't you spend the day working in your garden?" James asked.

"Cute," Lily said with a sneer, reaching out to stroke Harry's soft tufts of black hair.

As soon as she touched him, though, the child started crying.

"Brat," Lily snapped, jolting her hand away from the infant. "Anyway, it is indeed a lovely morning," she said. "The Minister sent me an owl this morning, with some fascinating news."

"And what news might that be?" James asked irritably, doing his best to focus on getting Harry to stop crying.

"A reporter and a photographer for the _Daily Prophet_ will be coming over soon to interview me about the recent developments I've helped to arrange in the Ministry," she said, glancing down at her clothes and then back up at James, whose sole focus was on Harry. "What do you think?"

James snorted as Harry's cries finally settled down to upset whimpers. "I think you need to keep your hands off of my son, since every time you've touched him, he ends up sobbing," he said.

"No, you idiot. I'm asking what you think about my outfit, not your opinion on my interactions with your bastard child," Lily snapped, glaring at James as he stepped around her and walked out of the room. She stalked after him and grabbed his upper arm just before he reached the staircase. "What do you think about my choice in clothing?" she asked.

James looked back at her - she'd chosen a low-cut red silk blouse and a clearly inappropriate black pencil skirt that reached just above the middle of her thigh. To finish her "look," she'd chosen knee high black boots with stiletto heels.

"Oh, that is a definite 'respect me as a political official' outfit," he said with a sneer. "Ignoring the fact that you're supposedly not a tramp and every other woman in politics dresses in a conservative and professional manner, you're just dandy."

Lily blushed rather brilliantly. "The reason that other women don't dress like this is because they don't have the body to pull it off," she said, shoving past James and heading downstairs. "I expect you to look just as good as I do when the people from the _Prophet_ get here," she called.

Hesitantly, James made his way downstairs and to the kitchen to get some breakfast.

As he fed Harry and ate the breakfast of steak and eggs that the house elf had prepared for him, James watched Lily run frantically from room to room, rearranging things and muttering neurotically to herself. On more than one occasion, she fluttered, like a bird, James supposed, through the kitchen and snatched bites of food off of his plate.

When the rest of the house was up to her standards, she turned her sight on James and Harry. "The reporter is going to be here soon, and I want you dressed in something appropriate when he gets here."

"I could say the same thing to you," James muttered. One of the house elves appeared at his side and took the bottle that Harry had finished before whisking the child back upstairs to his nursery.

"Well?" Lily asked, propping her hands up on her hips and glaring at James. "Are you going to go up and change, or are you going to sit in the kitchen in your boxers?" she asked.

"If I choose the latter, you're going to go bitching to Dumbledore about it, aren't you?" he asked wearily, pushing his plate away from him.

"Oh, without a doubt," Lily snapped, shoving James out of his chair. "Now get going, and don't take all day about it."


	97. The stars crashed around me

**097. The stars crashed around me**

Word Count: 1,175

* * *

Lily pounded on the door to the chambers that James all but lived in now. "James, the Minister is coming over for lunch," she yelled. "Get out here!"

"That creature is positively abhorrent, you realize," Alessander said, eyeing with distaste the staircase that led to the entrance of his chambers.

James grinned. "Now imagine if you were married to her," he said.

"James, I will not allow you to ignore me! If you flake on this lunch, I will tell the Headmaster your dirty little secret!" Lily yelled, once again pounding on the door that she could not open.

Alessander smirked. "Which one is she talking about?" he asked. "As I recall, you have a number of dirty little secrets."

"I probably ought to humor her," James muttered, looking down at his son, who was sitting in his lap, watching Alessander with fascination. "Does she know that you know that she's been sleeping with the Minister for, what, six months?" Alessander asked.

James shrugged. "If she does know, then she does well to pretend that she doesn't know that I know what she does," he said, frowning a bit and thinking over what he'd just said to see if it had actually made any sense. "Should I bring Harry with me?" he asked.

Alessander grinned at the infant, who grinned back at him and laughed a bit. "It might put you in the good graces of the Mudblood," Alessander said. "After all, if Evans claims to have recently given birth to a son, she will eventually need to show this boy to the world as proof of her proclamations," he said.

"I suppose," James replied before pulling on a simple black robe and scooping up the child, making him laugh louder. "There is that portrait in the dining room, and you might be able to sneak in and watch the disaster."

"It's just lunch, James," Alessander deadpanned.

"It's Evans, Alessander," James replied. "It's never 'just' anything when the Minister is involved."

Just as Lily started pounding on the door to James' chambers, James opened the door. "I will thank you to remember that there is an infant that does not like you, and he will scream and cry when you deliberately agitate him," he said.

"Why is the brat wearing green?" Lily asked when she noticed the outfit that James had put him in. "We are not a Slytherin family, and green is one of the Slytherin colors."

"As is silver, yet you're wearing what I can only assume is a dress in that color," he said, eyeing Lily's clothing. She was wearing a metallic silver mini dress that was too small for her and burgundy high heels. "Appropriate as always, I see."

"As if what you're wearing is much better," Lily snapped.

James glanced down at his clothing - underneath the robe that he'd thrown on seconds ago, he was wearing dark blue jeans and a tight green t-shirt. "At least I do not risk exposing myself to the Minister if I sit down too quickly," he snapped. "You look like a prostitute."

Lily glared at James, but glanced at Harry. "Consider yourself lucky that you're holding our child, otherwise I would have slapped you for that insult," she snapped before turning abruptly and marching down the stairs to the wait for the Minister.

James glanced down at Harry, who turned his head to the side and smiled at him. "Should we go meet the man who is sleeping with your supposed mother?" he asked.

The child, as expected, didn't offer James an escape. Instead, he laughed and said, "Papa," as he'd done a few times before.

James grinned, kissing his son on the forehead before making his way down to the kitchen.

Shortly after he walked into the kitchen and had been given food for both Harry and himself, he heard the unmistakably oily voice of the Minister start to converse with Lily.

"Lily, the first time that I saw you, I swore to myself that the stars crashed around me, and that you couldn't get any more beautiful," he started. "And yet, every time I see you, you are more and more captivating."

Lily giggled loudly, but said nothing in response.

James stood up, carrying Harry with him, and went out to the sitting room, where Lily and the Minister were sitting on the couch next to each other.

The Minister stood up abruptly when he noticed James in the room and he vigorously shook James' free hand. "It is good to see you again, James," he said eagerly, ignoring the look on James' face at his assumed familiarity with the Lord of the Potter Estates. "You are very lucky to have a wife like Lily," he said.

"So I've been told," James muttered.

"Cornelius, you are shameless," Lily said, once again giggling.

The Minister looked over at the young child in James' arms. "And this is the son that I've heard almost nothing about," he said with a patronizing grin as he patted Harry on his head. "Lily, you hardly mention him, and you hid your pregnancy so well from the rest of the world," he said, returning to the couch to sit next to Lily.

"I did what I could," Lily said with a pointed glare at James. "After all, we wanted to keep this private while we went through it. There were a number of potential threats that would have severely damaged the child's chances of survival if certain people were aware of Harry, so we thought it best to wait until he was born."

"Would you mind too terribly much if I invited a few friends from the Prophet to join us for dinner, then?" Cornelius asked. "Your son is something of an enigma, and people are itching to know about him."

James held Harry tighter against him. "These friends would be reporters, I assume."

"Well, naturally. And a photographer," he replied. "I'll firecall them and they can be over in ten minutes, so I would go change into something more seeming for Lily's husband."

James opened his mouth to respond, but Lily leveled a pointed glare at him before glaring at Harry. "If you insist," he snapped.

"I do," the Minister said.

Lily leaned back in her spot on the couch, grinning smugly. "We'll wait for you to get back before we bring out the food," she said, waving at the stairs.

James growled lowly and went back upstairs to change his clothing.


	98. The jigsaw puzzle was missing a piece

**098. The jigsaw puzzle was missing a piece**

Word Count: 1,280

* * *

Lucius stared awkwardly at the sight of Narcissa Malfoy nee Black cradling their newly born son, Draco Abraxas Malfoy. It did not feel right. It was not supposed to be Narcissa cradling their child. It was supposed to be James. He forced that thought out of his mind and glanced out the window.

As much as he tried to convince himself that James had simply been overwhelmed and decided that being the eternal mate of the Malfoy Elf was too much, the jigsaw puzzle was missing a piece, so to speak.

James had never showed any real resilience when it came to rejecting Lucius. Hell, he had never even asked to have the Potter family intended ring returned to him. Subconsciously Lucius reached for the chain around his neck, which still held the intended ring James had offered him so many years ago.

It had to be Dumbledore, he thought. Only that man had the power to force James away from Lucius and into the waiting arms of the all too pleased Mudblood Lily Evans. But there was no proof that Dumbledore had been involved in even the smallest way.

Narcissa looked up at him with a knowing expression on her face. "Lucius, would you mind too terribly allowing me some privacy?" she asked. "I fear that this childbirthing experience has left me rather exhausted, and I would enjoy something of a nap. I will have a Healer watch over Draco so that nothing happens to either of us in your absence," she said.

Silently thanking his wife, Lucius nodded to her. "Sleep well, then, Narcissa," he said before sweeping out of the room and going into his personal chambers.

He made his way to the chair by the fireplace, warding the door shut for privacy's sake, and pulled the intended ring off of the silver chain. It glowed slightly silver before settling. As he stared at it, he allowed himself to think back on the time he had spent with his mate, however short that time was. He could count the number of times they had said 'I love you' on one hand, and yet they both had known that the feeling was mutual.

A few tears escaped as he continued to reminisce, and before he knew what was going on entirely, he had fallen asleep in the chair, clutching the ring to his chest so hard that his knuckles had turned white.

...

He woke up the next morning when a house elf appeared in front of him. "Master Lucius, the Daily Prophet is being delivered to you in the dining room," it said before disappearing.

The headline on the front page of the newspaper caught Lucius completely by surprise and it was with one photograph that his resolve to abide by his mate's wishes broke.

Potter Family to be honored at Grand Opening of Muggle Studies Wing.

The photo that accompanied this was one that showed James cradling his son - Harry, if Lucius remembered correctly - while Lily stood next to James, resting her tainted head on James' shoulder. He payed no attention to the image of Lily, focusing instead on James. The way he looked at his son grabbed his attention and he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something odd about the child.

With a flick of his wand, he magnified the picture, trying to persuade himself that it was only paranoia. It took him almost five full minutes before he realized what it was about the child that held his attention.

"Lucius?" Narcissa inquired quietly as she walked into the dining room.

"What is it, 'Cissa?" he asked coolly, his face becoming completely unreadable as he masked his emotions.

The woman paused a moment before speaking. "I'm going to visit Rabastan for the weekend, and I'm bringing Draco with me, since he insisted that Russia is more peaceful for newborns," she said. "Do you have any objections?"

Lucius shook his head, setting the newspaper on fire. "Send your brother my greetings," he said almost inaudibly.

Narcissa paused at the doorway before nodding once and disappearing out the door.

Lucius straightened himself and vanished the still-burning copy of the Daily Prophet. After glancing around to make sure that no one was too close, he Apparated out of the Manor without a word.

He re-appeared seconds later in the throne room of a German Manor that had long since been deserted by its family, and strode out of the room, knowing exactly where he would find who he was looking for.

The Dark Lord, as he had expected, was in the study, looking over a piece of parchment with a frown. "What is it that brings you unannounced to my Manor, Lucius?" the man purred without looking up from the parchment. "I did not send for you."

Lucius was silent for a moment, thinking over what he was going to say to his commander.

"Lucius?" the Dark Lord asked almost curiously, finally looking up at Lucius. He noticed the Elf's stoic mask and then took in how his hands were trembling with otherwise well-concealed anger. He nodded at the chair opposite his desk.

Lucius hesitated only a moment before walking forward. He stood behind the chair, but silently refused to sit down. "My Lord, I wish to request something of you," he said, gripping the back of the chair with such force that his knuckles turned white.

"I trust it is something of great importance," the Dark Lord said. "Why ought I to assist you?" he asked.

"It is something that takes a while to explain, My Lord," Lucius said, his anger still present, but settling under the knowledge that he needed to tread carefully with his master. The Dark Lord Voldemort was not known to be a particularly patient man with his servants.

The Dark Lord chuckled quietly. "Lucius, you will have adequate time to explain yourself if you do not stall any further. Sit down and start speaking," he said.

Lucius nodded and sat, albeit hesitantly. "I trust that you know that I am a Wood Elf, and a creature that only thrives properly with their mate at their side," he said, and the Dark Lord nodded. "Do you recall that my father introduced my mate alongside myself when you came to Malfoy Manor -"

"During your final year at Hogwarts, yes."

"My mate, as you may remember, My Lord, is James Potter," Lucius said.

"Until he left you and his father promised him to the Mudblood Lily Evans," the Dark Lord said. At Lucius' almost curious look, the Dark Lord smirked. "I have spies everywhere, Lucius, and you would do well not to forget that."

Lucius was silent for a long moment.

"What is it you wish of me, Lucius?" the Dark Lord asked once he was fed up with the silent act.

"Have you seen the front page of the Daily Prophet today, My Lord?" Lucius asked, summoning a copy and setting it on the desk so that the Dark Lord could clearly see the main headline and the photograph on the front page.


	99. She stared defiantly

**099. She stared defiantly**

Word Count: 1,092

* * *

James heard Lily scream briefly, before the sound was aborted with a sudden silent, and a moment later Harry started to cry loudly. His stomach dropped to his colon and he bolted inside. Lily was dead, that was clear. She was lying on the kitchen floor, the aftermath glow of the Avada Kedavra curse still lingering around her body.

Footsteps upstairs and quiet voices talking caused James to fly into a panic and he all but flew up the stairs.

In Harry's nursery there were two people talking quietly. One was the smooth voice that James had longed to hear for so many years, and the other was a cold, authoritative voice that James feared belonged to the Dark Lord. He looked into the room and saw the Dark Lord reach down to caress his child's cheek in what seemed to be a gentle manner. Harry stopped crying and giggled, grabbing onto the Dark Lord's middle finger and gurgling in the language known only to babies.

Lucius must have noticed James' appearance because he whirled around and easily backed James against the wall. It took him only one look - the heartbreak in his eyes was enough to have James against the wall, unable to even look at Lucius' face. "Why did you keep this from me?" he asked quietly as he motioned back at Harry. "He is our child and you never saw fit to tell me?" Anger fused with the heartbreak and James tensed his body as though he was about to receive a physical blow.

"I didn't want to ruin your life," James said, his voice breaking as tears welled up in his eyes. "If anyone had found out that you were an Elf and Harry was your child, they'd have told Dumbledore and he would have tried to use that as blackmail to control you. He used the safety of my child's life to ensure I did not stray from him."

Lucius moved forward a bit and hesitantly cupped James' cheek, a tear escaping his carefully built up guards when he felt James flinch at the physical contact. "You could have come to me, James. I would have protected you from even Dumbledore," he said quietly.

The Dark Lord walked over to them and glanced at Lucius. "We do not have much time before Dumbledore arrives," he said.

James looked over at the feared man, knowing that his eyes showed almost the same heartbreak as Lucius', and spoke. "You care for Lucius?" he asked.

The Dark Lord nodded, his face completely unreadable and his red eyes seeming to look into James' very soul.

James looked over at Lucius. "He is your son. When Dumbledore comes to clean up the loose ends here, I want you to take him." He looked over at the Dark Lord. "If you truly care for Lucius, treat our child as though I was not the other father."

"Come with me, James," Lucius said quietly, forcing James to meet his gaze. "We can start anew," he said.

"I am tainted," James said. "I do not deserve you."

"Bloody Gryffindor tendency to sacrifice themselves," the Dark Lord growled. He glanced out the window and then looked at Lucius. "Get your mate to agree now or leave without him," he ordered and Lucius looked at James, a hopeful shimmer in his eyes. The Dark Lord turned his attention momentarily back to Harry, who again grabbed onto his middle finger and giggled.

"Tell me how Lily died," James said quickly, ignoring how obvious it was that he was avoiding answering Lucius' request that he join him.

"She stared defiantly at me as she claimed that Harry was her child," Lucius said.

"So you killed her?" James asked, not at all surprised when Lucius nodded without the least bit of hesitation.

"Come with me?" Lucius asked again, but he never received an answer.

Dumbledore burst into the room, his wand drawn, and he looked at the scene in front of him. The Dark Lord quickly pulled his hand out of Harry's grasp and grabbed Lucius by the upper arm. Dumbledore noticed the way Lucius' eyes lingered on James as he silently forced the Dark Lord to wait and he used that to his advantage. Without a moment's hesitation, he pointed his wand at James and spoke the deadly words "Avada Kedavra."

He smirked at the way Lucius cried out aloud when James went limp in front of him, but the Dark Lord took no other chances. He motioned at Harry and murmured a phrase in a lost Druid dialect before pulling Lucius closer to him and disappearing.

The loud sound of the crack startled Harry and the babe started screaming.

Dumbledore's eyes hardened and he reached over to pick Harry up, but the child's cries continued. When Harry noticed the limp, dead form of his father slumped against the wall by the door to his room, his screams increased rather impressively in fervor.

Not sure what to do, the famed Leader of the Light put the child back into his crib. Only then did he notice the mark on Harry's forehead - a small lightning bolt that was bleeding slightly. It struck a chord within Dumbledore and he was overcome with a cold, calculating rage. He needed to know what curse Voldemort had set upon Harry, and he needed to know how this could affect the outcome he wanted to get in this war. "Silencio," he said, rendering Harry immediately silent, though the sight of the child screaming and sobbing silently was almost as distracting as the sound of the child's cries.

He needed to think of some way to fix this problem. But first, he needed an appropriate cover story for what had conspired here tonight.

And so, the next morning, the illusion of safety and the widely believed notion that the Light Wizards were triumphing in the War were shattered throughout Britain as Wizards read the headline of the Daily Prophet with horror and disbelief.

**Infant is Sole Survivor of Attack on Potter Family**

And so began the legend of the Boy-Who-Lived.


	100. There was a knock at the door

**100. There was a knock at the door**

Word Count: 741

* * *

Minerva McGonagall was not sure why the Headmaster of Hogwarts and her long-time friend Albus Dumbledore had requested that she meet him at Privet Drive in Surrey - a Muggle town near London - in the middle of the summer holidays. She was even less sure why it was that she had been convinced to take a Wizard's Oath of Secrecy after agreeing to meet him there.

He showed up a few moments past midnight, carrying a large bundle.

Minerva approached him in her Animagus form and decided not to return to her human form. Sometimes it was better to remain in a form that would allow for a quick escape should it be needed. She hopped up onto Dumbledore's shoulder, eliciting a quiet smile from the man, and inspected the bundle.

"Good evening, my dear Minerva," Albus said. "I fear that the young Potter child would be best brought up away from the influences of the War, away from those who would wish to corrupt the child."

Yes, Minerva though, letting out a soft meow. Perhaps that would be best. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would no doubt jump at the chance to correct his mistake in failing to kill the entire family of Potters. She pawed at the bundle and then it moved a bit, and a blanket was shifted to the side, revealing a healthy child with no more than a lightning bolt-shaped scar on his forehead.

Dumbledore reached down to replace the blanket where it had been, covering the child, but the child whimpered and started crying. Dumbledore cast a calming charm on the child and Harry opened his eyes a bit, yawning.

Minerva gasped internally when she noticed something peculiar about Harry's eyes. One eye was the same emerald as the Killing Curse, while the other was the molten mercury color that could only be found in one family. While this was a huge surprise to Minerva, she could not say that a child could be unexpected when it came to how intimate the relationship between James Potter and Lucius Malfoy had been, even given the short time that they actually had what could be defined as an intimate relationship together - though they had been amazingly discreet about their relationship as a whole.

Apart from that, she found herself fascinated that the child's eyes - the child of the quintessential Gryffindor - had eyes that were the exact colors of the Slytherin House at Hogwarts.

Dumbledore replaced the blanket over the child and set the bundle on the doorstep of Number Four Privet Drive and set the letter that explained things on top of the blanket. He knocked on the door and looked at Minerva, who hopped off his shoulder, and Apparated away.

When she heard movement inside the house, she managed to hide herself in the bushes so that she would not be seen but so that she would be able to survey everything that occurred.

A tired, horse-faced woman opened the door and picked up the bundle. She seemed oddly awake for such an hour and Minerva had the fleeting suspicion that Dumbledore was directly involved with that. A large walrus of a man walked up behind her, rubbing his face in an ineffective attempt to wake himself up a bit more.

"What's going on?" he slurred, clearly having just rolled out of bed to see what had awakened his wife.

"There was a knock on the door and I came to see who would disturb us at such a hideous hour of the night. They left a child on the doorstep." She showed the bundle to her husband and he took the letter, ripping it open without any hesitation at all. They walked back inside the house and shut the door, taking the bundled child with them.

Feeling satisfied that Harry would be safe until he was old enough to be told the truth, Minerva crawled out of the bushes and sauntered down Privet Drive. As was not uncommon when she found herself in her Animagus form for longer periods of time, she was craving the hunt and devouring of wild mice or rabbits.


	101. Author's Scribbling

**Author's Notes**

First off, I would like to insert here the disclaimer that I just borrowed JK Rowling's characters, and the only thing I stake a claim in are my characters (Keira and Alessander).

Second, I want to thank everyone who read this for reading this, and for those of you who stayed with me since the beginning, thank you for your patience with my erratic updating habits.

Third, there is a sequel in the works. (Hopefully it won't take another two years to finish and post, but no one knows what the future holds.) I'm going to be working on the sequel later, but right now, I am turning my focus onto **Marble Serpent**. (I am at college, though, and as an English major, I will be doing a lot of writing for my classes. Updates won't be frequent, but they'll be there and hopefully they won't be too horrible.

Fourth (and final), if anyone else is interested in using the prompt list for their own work - fanfiction or otherwise, it's right below this note.

Again, thank you all for reading this.

- Lee

* * *

**Prompt List**

001. Don't sit on the radiator

002. Something falls from the sky

003. Whistling down the street

004. The patient lay quietly

005. The cat rubbed against the fence

006. It was the best and worst day of my life

007. She sits upon the shore

008. The tide washed over his feet

009. Let's make gingerbread!

010. I don't quite understand

011. Speak more slowly

012. I heard the camera shutter go off

013. I could hear someone moaning

014. I think a spider bit me!

015. The world swayed

016. It was a long way to the ground

017. We rolled down the hill

018. I think I'm going to be ill

019. We dare not waste a single drop

020. I thought he was going to shoot me

021. She kicked the ball

022. He looked so fair

023. I was going to have to get used to calling her my wife

024. The young will never be wise

025. Here, have this

026. Waiting at the airport

027. I saw some money on the ground

028. She taught me how to whistle

029. The radio blared

030. I pricked myself on a thistle

031. The tapestry was unfinished

032. I never liked needlework

033. The colors were rich

034. You have chocolate on your chin

035. The water was tepid

036. I couldn't find my notebook

037. He chanted under his breath

038. She always said that

039. They've forgotten too

040. Go to sleep now

041. A lonely death

042. That's a nice umbrella

043. The rain poured down for days

044. I can hardly wait

045. It was a scorching hot Christmas

046. We'll make it fly

047. Picking berries from the bush

048. We used to sneak into the neighbor's garden

049. She had suntanned skin

050. What on earth are you talking about?

051. Say a prayer for me

052. He came from the north

053. I barely recognized you

054. She dropped the knife

055. He flashed his badge

056. It's all too much

057. Let's party!

058. She stirred her martini

059. Dance, dance, dance

060. I'm in the mood for lovin'

061. We reached for the sky

062. Her face was almost hidden behind the fairy floss

063. Can we ride it again, please?

064. The tennis racket had no strings

065. The paint was peeling

066. It was the perfect crime

067. This is the way the world ends

068. Flowers bloomed

069. We loved climbing trees

070. It was all fine, until ...

071. The lights went out

072. Shut your dog up!

073. I see you haven't changed

074. Too late for sympathy

075. I saw a typewriter by the side of the road

076. Of fairies and unseen things

077. It might be worth a bit of cash

078. If you could see me now

079. The duo bowed to tumultuous applause

080. He had a voice like silk

081. In so many words

082. Why don't you get a real job?

083. I pulled my coat tight

084. The sun shone down

085. She reached for a cupcake

086. All that had been left to me was the house

087. I was tongue tied

088. I found myself in another world

089. The arrow flew true

090. The compass needle went wild

091. I laid eyes on what I'd found

092. The airplane roared overhead

093. We went onto the balcony

094. I held her close to me

095. We would be heroes

096. She fluttered like a bird

097. The stars crashed around me

098. The jigsaw puzzle was missing a piece

099. She stared defiantly

100. There was a knock at the door


End file.
